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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27916555">A Wrinkle in Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatelynTsukino/pseuds/CatelynTsukino'>CatelynTsukino</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Show-based stories [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Battle of Winterfell | Final Battle Against the White Walkers, Canon Rewrite, F/M, Game of Thrones Alternate Seasons 07-08, Gen, King Jaime Lannister, King Jon Snow, Queen Brienne of Tarth, Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Time Travel Fix-It</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:34:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>64,681</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27916555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatelynTsukino/pseuds/CatelynTsukino</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“I fought your wight self once. In Casterly Rock… shortly before it was wiped out by an ice dragon. That’s the only time I ever saw you.”</i> </p><p>On his way to kill the Queen of Thorns, Jaime encounters a woman who claims to be his daughter from the future. And that’s only the beginning of his problems.<br/>OR<br/>If you thought the series ending felt wrong, it’s because it was.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Show-based stories [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2299391</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>161</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>309</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Jaime I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, this is the third story I've written while I'm writing my ASOIAF/ATLA crossover. Do I have any self control? Absolutely not!<br/>(I'm not even going to mention my MCU fic)<br/>Anywaaay, this is mostly based on the TV show, but there are book elements that I'm borrowing to help me fix the crazy mess that GoT became near its end. If you liked the way it ended, get out xD</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From the moment he crosses the gates of Highgarden, he senses something is wrong. It's all eerily <em>quiet</em>; as if there is nobody around. <em>It must be a trap</em>, he thinks as he walks to the castle, as silently as his armor allows. <em>Someone gave us away, and Olenna placed soldiers in strategic places to slaughter us as quickly as possible.</em></p>
<p>His careful watch borders on paranoia as he goes upstairs, a pair of Lannister soldiers trailing behind him. <em>This is madness. What does Cersei want with an empty castle of an extinct house?</em> He knows, of course; his sister wants to instate someone loyal to her as Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South. <em>If only there </em>was <em>someone loyal to give this to… but even if there was, would the rest of the Reach accept them without a fight? Cersei did kill their overlord family in cold blood. If roles were reversed, I'd raise banners in the blink of an eye.</em></p>
<p>He shakes these thoughts off his head. It's no use to dwell on them on enemy territory—and that's where he is, for any enemy of Cersei's is his by default. He was always all too keen on digging his grave right beside hers, and now he has to lie on it with her, even if it's clear as day to him they are no longer two halves of the same soul. (Were they ever?)</p>
<p>He reaches the last floor without noticing any human presence. Perhaps all soldiers are gathered on the high balcony, waiting for him with open arms and readied crossbows. For a moment, he thinks this might be a better fate than going back to King's Landing and stand by as his sister does gods know what else to keep herself as queen of a realm that hates her.</p>
<p>His soldiers are as quiet as he, but he still signals for them to stay that way when he opens the door to the balcony. A brief glance tells him it's as empty as the rest of the castle. He whispers for the soldiers to stay by the door and enters. For a short while, he sees no one. <em>Olenna must have fled. That's why this place is empty. Someone still betrayed us to alert of her presence, but at least my army won't suffer for it.</em></p>
<p>It is only when he turns to the right corner that he catches sight of someone standing in the shadows. As he walks in their direction, the figure becomes clearer. He first notices their height; they are as tall as him. Then a slim shape with womanly curves. There is something emerging from her back, but he can't tell what. Then she steps ahead and lets herself be illuminated by daylight coming from the window.</p>
<p>He stops on his tracks. She has blond, curly hair, much like Cersei's in her youth. Her skin is as fair as his sister's, and her face is shaped like his own, although her nose doesn't resemble anyone in his family. It's not any of these features that draw his attention, however; it's her eyes.</p>
<p>They are impossibly blue. For a split second, he's reminded of Brienne, but quickly he realizes this woman's eyes are nothing like the wench's. While Brienne's eyes are astonishing and calm, hers are unsettling and cold. He'd never think a human being could possess eyes like these.</p>
<p>She walks to a table stationed between them and rests her hands on a chair. She grins, reminding him once again of Cersei. "Jaime Lannister, right?", she asks. Her voice is gentler than he expected, given her eyes. He nods. "Pleasure to meet you, my lord."</p>
<p>He frowns. "Pardon me, am I supposed to know who you are?"</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "You may call me Alysanne. Alys for short, if you prefer."</p>
<p><em>No surname?</em> He honestly expected to hear a 'Hill' from her mouth; her looks can make her pass up as a Lannister bastard easily. "Well, Lady Alysanne, mind telling me where can I find Lady Olenna Tyrell?"</p>
<p>He doubts she will give the old woman's location away; if she's the only person present in Highgarden, she must be Olenna's spokesperson. Her answer still catches him by surprise. "She's been taken care of", she says dismissively. "I was waiting for you, Lord Lannister. I hoped we'd have a little talk."</p>
<p>Her cold eyes shine with mischief, but there is still no warmth there. "Why would I?", he asks, feeling annoyance creeping in.</p>
<p>Her grin widens. "I could give you many reasons… but what about a deal?" She reaches for her back, and only too late she realizes she carries two swords there. She draws one, and he immediately draws his in turn. "If I defeat you, we talk. If you defeat me, feel free to kill me and go back to your queen."</p>
<p>She sounds way too confident for a young woman. He may not be the fighter he once was, back when he had his sword hand, but his decades-long experience still counts for something. "I accept", he replies. "If you yield, I'll take you as a prisoner instead of killing you."</p>
<p>"I thought your queen didn't take prisoners", she replies, sounding way cockier than the situation allows. "Shall we dance, my lord?", she asks and, before he can wonder why her words sound so familiar, charges at him.</p>
<p>He raises his sword to meet hers. It takes less than an instant to figure it out that her sword is made of Valyrian steel. <em>Where did she find it?</em>, he wonders as they meet blow by blow. The fight proves harder than he initially thought; she goes for all his weak points with certainty, as if she knew them all already. <em>Who has she spoken to? Her style is familiar, though I can't pinpoint why.</em></p>
<p>Suddenly, faster than one could blink, his sword flies to the other side of the room. Her sword hits his chin gently, and he turns to see her smirking at him. "Yield?", she asks teasingly.</p>
<p><em>Seven hells, who is this woman?</em> He wants—needs—answers. "I yield", he replies. "We can have your talk."</p>
<p>"Great!", she exclaims, looking like an excited child. He goes to retrieve his sword and glances ahead to see his two soldiers creeping inside. He signals for them to wait outside, everything is fine. "Feel free to take a seat, my lord. We have a few things to discuss." She sits down on the chair she was gripping not so long ago. Seeing her relax, he decides he can afford to sit across her. "Before I begin… Do you have any questions?"</p>
<p><em>Many</em>, he wants to say, but settles on, "Do you have a surname?"</p>
<p>The mischief is back on her cold yes, and she grins. "You think me a bastard, don't you?" A chuckle. "You're not wrong, though I was legitimized by royal decree shortly after my birth." Her grin remains, but it no longer reaches her eyes. "My parents didn't <em>get</em> the chance to marry in time for me to be a trueborn child, but my mother insisted on having me carry both his surname and hers. <em>However</em>", her grin widens, "the question of my parentage is one I can't answer. I may only disclose it to those who guess it right at first try."</p>
<p>His immediate reaction is to tell her she's a <em>Lannister</em> bastard, but she raises a finger. "Calm down, my lord. I know you have a guess on the tip of your tongue, but that's not the guess that will give you the answer. You have to guess both of my parents <em>first and last</em> names, so, if I were you, I'd wait a little bit. Ask more questions, look more closely."</p>
<p>Irritation bubbles inside him. Why is even giving her his time of the day? <em>She defeated me too fast for someone so young, and she carries at least one Valyrian steel sword.</em> He notices two sword hilts emerging from her back, so he decides his next question to be about them. "Are both of your swords Valyrian steel?"</p>
<p>As if by instinct, she raises her hands to touch them. "Yes", she replies, voice neutral. "Would you like to see them?"</p>
<p>He nods, and she draws both swords to place them at the table. He has half a mind to grab them and run, but something tells him she'd catch him anyway. Besides, this is clearly a demonstration of trust, even if minimal, and he'd hate to break someone's trust so soon after earning it. Instead, he inspects the swords up close.</p>
<p>Something inside him twists. He's never seen them before—no one he knows ever has—but both hilts are undoubtedly <em>Targaryen</em> ones. The red amongst the black, the dragons… it's fairly obvious. <em>Is she a Targaryen bastard, as well as Lannister?</em> He is tempted to ask, but he can't think of any possible Lannister-Targaryen pairing in recent history. He briefly considers the rumours that his brother is Hand of Queen Daenerys, but the woman in front of him looks a <em>bit</em> too old to be his niece with the Targaryen girl.</p>
<p>"How did you get these swords?", he asks finally. "They look to be Targaryen ones."</p>
<p>She grabs the swords and places them on her back again. "They are", she confirms. She's no longer grinning. "Blackfyre and Dark Sister."</p>
<p>He straightens his back, alarmed. "Blackfyre has been lost in Essos since the last Blackfyre Rebellion", he replies, recalling his history lessons. "And Dark Sister was lost beyond the Wall with Bloodraven."</p>
<p>"True", she replies. "I guess that's where I start to tell madman tales." At his frown, she smiles sadly. "I promise you, though, they are the truth."</p>
<p>"Well, then", he says, "feel free to start."</p>
<p>Her smile falls as she inclines herself. Her abdomen touches the edge of the table. "Blackfyre has been in possession of the Golden Company for decades. Wielded by its commander, usually, or by its best fighter, if the former is unable, which is currently the case. No, I'm <em>not</em> a sellsword. I retrieved the sword from the hands of the last Golden Company fighter as he died… nineteen years from now."</p>
<p>He nearly falls off the chair. "Beg your pardon, <em>what</em>?"</p>
<p>She chuckles, but it's not a pleasant sound. "I told you. Madman tales, but trust me when I say this: I'm not from here and now, my lord. I am from 21 years in the future, and I came back in time because said future is lost to humanity. I was the very last human being standing then, and I'm here to prevent this doom from falling upon the world again."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Jaime II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>No. No. Absolutely not.</p>
<p><em>This is a farce. A trap. Whoever this woman is, she's distracting me with her stories while the Reach armies slaughter mine, I'm sure.</em> He abruptly stands up to look by the window, but his men are simply standing guard; no other signs of life around.</p>
<p>"I <em>told </em>you Olenna Tyrell has been taken care of", the woman—Alysanne, if she was being truthful about her name—says softly. "Just… turn back here. I know you don't believe me, but I want you to take a good look at me." He turns back to her. She's standing, a knee resting on the chair. "I know you can see something wrong about my appearance. I know <em>what</em> it is, so tell me. What do you see?"</p>
<p>He doesn't have to think twice. "Your eyes", he replies instantly. "They don't look natural."</p>
<p>She gives him a half-smile. It reminds him of someone he knows, although he can't remember who. "These are not the eyes I was born with", she explains. "It was part of the price I had to pay to go back in time." She offers her arm to him. "Cut me with your sword. Nothing deep, just enough to bleed."</p>
<p>Frowning, he draws his sword carefully. <em>Should I just kill her?</em> It's tempting, but once again she's showing him that she <em>trusts</em> him, as absurd as it seems. No, he won't break her trust. However impossible her tale is, <em>she</em> believes it to be true. <em>Her eyes are unnatural, and she wields long-lost Valyrian steel swords. Being from the future may not be so far-fetched.</em> He touches her arm with the tip of Widow's Wail, just deep enough to draw blood.</p>
<p>Only, it isn't blood that emerges from her arm. It's… <em>sap</em>? Tree sap? "Seven hells", he lets out.</p>
<p>She lets her injured arm rest on her side. "I have trouble understanding it myself", she admits, "but this came with my new eyes. There used to be blood running through my veins, but they took it off and replaced it with <em>this</em>."</p>
<p>Before he can stop himself, he asks why. She doesn't seem to notice—or care—that his question is involuntary. "A powerful magic like this requires blood", she explains. "Like I said, I was the last human being at the time. It had to be my own, so they performed a ritual that enabled me to live with tree sap instead of blood. I think these eyes are some sort of side effect."</p>
<p>There is logic in her words—or there would be, if he believed in magic. But how can't he? Cersei walks around with a zombified Mountain, for gods' sake, and there are too many rumours of dragons for them not to be true—although he has yet to see any of them in person.</p>
<p>"Tell me of your future", he asks, because perhaps her tales of this supposed future can convince him whether she speaks the truth or not.</p>
<p>She averts her gaze from him as she gestures for him to sit back down. Her eyes turn back to him when he does, and there is <em>something</em> amidst the cold blue of them—sadness? "Would you like me to tell you from the beginning, or do you want to know how it ends first?"</p>
<p>He frowns. "I thought you had already told me the end. Everyone but you died, and you traded your blood for tree sap in order to go back in time. Tell me, where is your younger version now?"</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "I haven't even been conceived yet", she states. "I won't be born in… a year, give or take. I'm twenty years old, I think. It's hard to keep track of the days when you are on the run and the sun no longer rises and sets."</p>
<p>Her story sounds familiar. "Are you talking about the Long Night?"</p>
<p>She nods. "The Third Long Night. The second will happen within this year, and the one I've gone through is a direct consequence of failures on ending it."</p>
<p>Although the story sounds absurd, her tone leaves little space for questioning. "I think", he says slowly, "it will be best if you tell from the beginning."</p>
<p>She nods. "Alright. Let's begin here in Highgarden. Originally, you and your army faced Olenna Tyrell's soldiers and won easily. You came here to find her at this exact same spot and talked to her before giving her poison—defying Cersei's orders to give her a violent end."</p>
<p>He shifts on his seat. There is no way she could have known Cersei's orders or his intention to defy them—especially the latter, given he didn't tell <em>anyone</em> about it. She grins at him, seemingly catching on his thought process, and continues. "Shortly after, you faced Daenerys Targaryen's army and dragons. You recklessly charged at a dragon, but Bronn saved you just in time. Then you went back to Cersei and split your time between being with her openly and having to stand Euron Greyjoy's presence at the same time."</p>
<p>He swallows hard. "Being with Cersei openly, you say?" He recalls the way his sister seemed careless about being seen in bed with him by a servant; he thought she'd threaten the girl into silence, but is it possible that she truly wants to make their relationship public?</p>
<p>For the first time, Alysanne grimaces. "Is that <em>all </em>you caught of what I said? Is that all that <em>matters</em>? You and Cersei?"</p>
<p>Her words are venomous and accusing, and he's about to spat at her when he realizes something else: she's borrowing Cersei's own discourse about their relationship. <em>We're all that matters</em>, she'd tell him… in <em>closed doors</em>, where nobody could have seen or heard them. How does she know that?</p>
<p>Unaffected by his realization, she continues, "I'm getting ahead of myself now, but I was hoping to find you… less fixated on her. I hoped to find you willing to see the world beyond your sister. But clearly, I was too optimistic. After all, you stood by as she was crowned for burning down the Sept of Baelor and driving your son to suicide, and all you did was <em>getting angry</em> at her. You've killed a king for the mere <em>imminent threat</em> of wildfire, but <em>Cersei</em> can use it at will, huh?"</p>
<p>It takes a moment for her words to dawn on him. "<em>How do you know about Aerys?</em>", he hisses. He hasn't told anyone but Tyrion and Brienne about it. Which one of them spread it? <em>Tyrion, most likely. I doubt Brienne would say anything if she wasn't sure I wanted her to. She's trustworthy, more so than my brother.</em></p>
<p>She doesn't even blink. "Not through anyone you've told about it", she replies, as if knowing exactly what he's thinking. Maybe it's obvious. "Have you ever heard of the Three-Eyed Raven?"</p>
<p>Her question is so sudden, so random, his anger falls. "Yes", he answers. "Tyrion told me once when we were young. Some Northern legend."</p>
<p>"It's very much real", she says. "The Three-Eyed Raven can see everything in the past and everything in the present. It is an identity worn by many people throughout history. Anyone who wields this persona can live for as long as it's needed, even if their bodies fade away to bones."</p>
<p>"That sounds… terrible."</p>
<p>"It certainly is." She plays with her leather jerkin. "The last one was Bloodraven. You can imagine how old he was by then. He was so desperate to get rid of his powers and move on, he got inside the mind of a comatose boy and convinced him he'd find a new purpose in life if he became the new Three-Eyed Raven. Since the boy could no longer walk, he'd <em>fly</em>."</p>
<p>She stares at him with intensity, making her eyes even more unsettling. It takes a while for him to fully understand the implications of her words. "<em>Bran Stark</em>?" It's not possible; the boy died when the Ironborn invaded Winterfell, right?</p>
<p>But she nods in confirmation. "When Theon Greyjoy sacked Winterfell, Bran escaped with some friends. They marched beyond the Wall and found the cave Bloodraven was hidden in for decades. He… trained Bran and passed him the mantle of Three-Eyed Raven. It was Bran who told me about Aerys. Not because <em>you</em> told him, or Tyrion, or Brienne, but because <em>he saw it</em>."</p>
<p>He gulps. It sounds mad, but how can he question the truth of her words? She has repeatedly told him things she should know nothing about—things <em>no one</em> should know anything about. It makes sense that she learned them from an all-seeing person from whom nothing can be hidden. There is just one thing that doesn't fit. "Why did he tell you about me? Not just Aerys, but everything you know?"</p>
<p>She tilts her head. "He didn't show me <em>only </em>things about you. I know many things about many people. He's shown me all I needed to know of the past in order to change it, and this includes you. Do you want to know the rest or not? Your armies will soon notice you're not coming back."</p>
<p>He's tempted to ask where she plans to go after this conversation, but his wish to know how this story ends—how <em>his</em> story ends—speaks louder. "Okay, then. Go on. I spend my days suffering in King's Landing, then what?"</p>
<p>She chuckles. "Well, I have to change focus for a while before coming back to you. I'm not sure if you know, but Jon Snow retook Winterfell and was named King in the North."</p>
<p>He nods. "By the way, how did that happen? He's from the Night's Watch."</p>
<p>She chuckles again. "Do you know the vows they take? 'Night falls, and my watch begins. It shall not end until my death'. Funny thing, Jon was murdered by his own black brothers. A red priestess—the one who used to serve Stannis—revived him, but since he <em>died</em>, he's free of his vows to the Night's Watch. He can now take wife, children, crowns and glory."</p>
<p>Somehow, this is the least crazy thing in his ears today. She crosses her legs and continues. "Anyway, at that point Jon was well aware of the threat coming to us beyond the Wall. Ever heard of the White Walkers?"</p>
<p>He massages his temple with his remaining hand. "Yes. Are all those Northern legends true, then? Next thing you tell me the Children of the Forest are still alive."</p>
<p>She laughs at that. "They <em>are</em>", she replies. "They were the ones to send me back in time. But this is for another moment. Now it's about the White Walkers. They are led by the Night King and have an army of 100,000 undead, and although they are slow, they are reaching the Wall as we speak. It's only a matter of time before they do."</p>
<p>"But wasn't the Wall built to serve a barrier between them and us? As long as it's standing, we are safe, aren't we?"</p>
<p>She sighs. "In my timeline, they found a way to open a breach in the Wall. Ah… let me finish this. I'll summarize things for you. Jon knew the White Walkers and the wights could be killed by fire, dragonglass and Valyrian steel. So he went to Dragonstone, where Daenerys already was, to convince her to let him mine all the dragonglass there. It took a while, and he had to bend the knee, but it worked. They sort of became lovers at some point, but that's not important right now.</p>
<p>"Jon knew he had to convince the whole realm of the threat so everyone could unite to fight the undead together. The living against the dead. So he went beyond the Wall to capture a wight, to give visual proof. Things went downhill really fast, and Daenerys went there with her dragons to give aid. Problem is, the Night King managed to slay one of the dragons, then turned it to a wight. That's how they opened a breach on the Wall; by burning it down."</p>
<p>"Fuck", he lets out before he can help it.</p>
<p>"Fuck, indeed, but at least Jon got his wight. He, Daenerys, Tyrion, Brienne and the Hound traveled to King's Landing for a parley with Cersei. They showed you two and Euron the wight, and she agreed to help. Only she was lying."</p>
<p>He clenches his fist. "If we saw the undead, and if we were told about the danger they pose to the entire realm—because clearly, they mean to kill us all—<em>why</em> wouldn't Cersei help them?"</p>
<p>She raises an eyebrow at him. "Do you really think your sister would make peace with her enemies to march North and face a danger that, for all she knew, would never make it south? She claimed that, if the dragons couldn't beat them, her armies would be of no help. But the truth is, she wanted to let the <em>other </em>armies be destroyed and weakened so she could seize power." She fixes her stare at him. "You must know by now it is the most important thing for her."</p>
<p>Whoever Alysanne is, whoever her parents are, it's clear she has an extremely low opinion of his twin. He wants to defend her, but… has she said anything untrue? Cersei all but stated she was the one behind the Sept's explosion; only a fool would believe otherwise. When confronted about Tommen, all she had to say was that he was a traitor—as if he hadn't their last living child. She's been doing cruel things in the name of power… and he's turned a blind eye to it all, much like Rhaella did with Aerys.</p>
<p><em>No, no, this is worse. </em>Alysanne is right. Rhaella had no power to change things; Jaime <em>has</em>, but he's done next to nothing with it. Had it been anyone else to have the sept burned, he'd have killed them without question—even if it somehow had been Tommen. But with Cersei, he was willing to forgive her with nothing but a few weeks worth of not being on speaking terms. What is his excuse? Love? Does he still love her like he used to?</p>
<p>He shakes his head off his thoughts. He needs to know what happens next. "What happened then?"</p>
<p>She gives him a half-smile. "She lied, but you did not. After failing to convince her to stay true to her pledge, you told her you'd stick to yours and left. She almost had the Mountain kill you—"</p>
<p>"<em>What</em>?"</p>
<p>"Is it really surprising?"</p>
<p>Maybe, maybe not. He's not too keen on figuring it out now. He settles on, "But she didn't. I left for Winterfell."</p>
<p>"Yes. You rode alone for weeks, but you eventually reached it. Daenerys wanted to kill you on sight, but Brienne vouched for you, and you were allowed to stay and fight."</p>
<p>His entire being relaxes at her words, and he can't help a smile. In an alternate world, Brienne defended him when his life was in line. She saved him, like she did after he lost his hand.</p>
<p>"Oh, look at the sappy face", Alysanne says, chuckling. "Perhaps I wasn't so wrong about you after all." Before he can ask what she means by that, she continues, "Bran Stark, or rather the Three-Eyed Raven, provided all the information he had on the enemy and told everyone the Night King was coming for <em>him</em>. He was his primary target, so he had to be protected. He showed a mark on his wrist that served as a tracker, so he knew the undead would go straight to Winterfell. That's where the fight happened.</p>
<p>"On the night before the battle, you knighted Brienne. During the battle, you two fought side by side, defending each other with all you had." It sounds beautiful, and he wants to ask for details, but she doesn't let him. "It was Arya who managed to get the Night King and kill him. The Second Long Night lasted only a few hours, thankfully, even though dozens of people died.</p>
<p>"After funerals and celebrations were held, Daenerys held war councils in order to go to King's Landing. Since Cersei lied about the truce, she wasn't going to have any mercy. They marched a few days after the battle against the White Walkers." She takes a deep breath. "Long story short… Daenerys burned the city even though they surrendered, her armies slaughtered the surviving Lannister army, and you and Cersei died inside the Red Keep."</p>
<p>He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but <em>how</em> did I die with Cersei if I wasn't there?"</p>
<p>She sighs. "It's… another long story, one I'd rather tell you in another moment."</p>
<p>"Will there be another moment?"</p>
<p>"Hopefully, yes. I have many things to do before I can be remotely sure this world won't end like mine did."</p>
<p>Her voice turns suddenly sad, and he knows her story is far from complete. "Daenerys took the throne then."</p>
<p>"For a couple hours, yes. Then Jon killed her."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I just told you she burned the entire city. He and Tyrion realized she turned mad like her father, and Jon saw no other way. He was exiled to the lands beyond the Wall, and a council was held to elect the new king. Tyrion vouched for Bran Stark, thanks to his powers I think, and he was crowned. Sansa vouched for Northern independence and became Queen in the North. Arya found herself without any goal and decided to find what's west of Westeros. Tyrion became Hand of the King, and Brienne and Podrick joined the Kingsguard. Robert's bastard Gendry was legitimized and became Lord of Storm's End, while Bronn was promoted to Lord of Highgarden and Master of Coin. Almost a year later, I was born."</p>
<p>She tells him all of this in a single breath, as if one sentence is not more shocking than the previous one. Bran Stark crowned King of Westeros? Independent North—why, if a Stark ruled the entire realm already? Did Sansa and Bran fight? And why did they exile Jon to beyond the Wall if the Wall was no more?</p>
<p>Tyrion stayed Hand after his queen died, presumably by his own scheming? Also, where was the new capital, if King's Landing was burned down? And Bronn as <em>Lord of Highgarden</em>? Okay, the man was owed a castle, but <em>Highgarden</em>?</p>
<p>He didn't even know a bastard of Robert was still alive, and now he was <em>lord</em>? Bran would rather have a bastard as Lord Paramount of the Stormlands than giving the title to someone else?</p>
<p>And last, but not least, Brienne in the <em>Kingsguard</em>? Look, he is very pleased to know she became a knight, by his hand no less, but isn't she heir to Tarth? And didn't he <em>warn </em>her about how corrupted the Kingsguard became as an institution? Why would she risk soiling herself with the white cloak?</p>
<p>Not to mention that he <em>died</em>. He knows Alysanne won't disclose that particular story to him today, but he can't help but think that, if he survived, maybe Brienne would have married him instead of joining a celibate order. He <em>knighted</em> her; surely she knew the depth of his feelings…?</p>
<p>It hits him like a crossbow. <em>I can't bring myself to love Cersei like I used to because I gave my heart to Brienne.</em> He's been in love with her for some time, he realizes; he just didn't recognize the feeling because he was so used to loving his sister, he never thought there would be a place in his heart for another. <em>But there isn't; Cersei and Brienne are not sharing. Brienne owns my heart completely; I'm loving Cersei out of habit only.</em></p>
<p>He gazes back at Alysanne and, suddenly, he's seeing her in a whole new light. Her hair screams Lannister, and she admitted earlier to being a bastard. She is either his, Cersei's or Tyrion's. Her nose and her height tell him she's not his daughter with Cersei; she'd be a Myrcella lookalike, which she's not.</p>
<p><em>She can't be Cersei's if she is born after she dies</em>, he realizes, <em>but she can be Tyrion's. She can even be mine, if I died right after planting my seed on her mother's womb.</em> He blinks several times and takes a sharp breath. It all makes sense now. Her nose, her shoulders, her fighting style, her smile, even her chuckle.</p>
<p>"You are my daughter with Brienne", he whispers, afraid of what will happen if he says it too loudly, "aren't you?"</p>
<p>She blinks, startled; clearly, she wasn't expecting him to figure out at that moment. Then, slowly, she smiles—and even though he has never seen Brienne fully smile, he has no doubt this is how she'd look if she ever did. "Mother did tell me you'd be able to guess it right. Alysanne Lannister of Tarth, yes. Pleased to finally meet you, <em>father</em>."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Jon I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Redwyne fleet arrives in the early morning, catching them all by surprise. Daenerys mounts her dragon and flies around them, but none of them engage in combat, so she tells him they probably come in peace.</p><p>"Olenna Tyrell is Cersei's enemy, not ally", Tyrion says in agreement. "I'd guess she came to pledge herself to you."</p><p>Jon is skeptical, though. "With <em>all</em> her army? There are hundreds of ships out there; Queen Daenerys said it herself."</p><p>"If she thinks Cersei might slaughter what remains of her forces, why leave any of her men behind?"</p><p>The Lannister dwarf has a point, so Jon decides against arguing more. Let the Dragon Queen welcome whoever she wants to her castle. As long as it doesn't interfere with his own plans, he cares little. <em>Perhaps I can even convince Lady Tyrell to aid my cause. It's the living against the dead, after all.</em></p><p>He has yet to convince the Targaryen woman to let him mine dragonglass. He finds himself wishing, not for the first time, that he had managed to get there before her arrival. That way, <em>he</em> would have the upper hand to negotiate. Granted, it was just as possible that she'd burn him immediately, but she was minimally willing to talk first, he'd have offered his conditions: <em>you can have your castle, but I'll keep mining; recognize the North as independent, and we won't bother you.</em></p><p>So far, Daenerys' behavior has puzzled him. She seems to be rational, yet she is fixated on her goal to get all Seven Kingdoms to herself. He knows little of politics—if it was for him, Sansa would've been crowned instead—but he seriously doubts people will willingly bend to a woman they never saw before on the account she's the daughter of the <em>Mad King</em>. Having Tyrion Lannister as Hand might help, but everyone knows the Imp has betrayed his family, so it might actually make things worse.</p><p>Besides, from what he heard she just lost allies. Apparently House Greyjoy is as divided as House Lannister in regards to loyalties to queens. They also said something about a bunch of women named Sand; he knows it's the name given to Dornish bastards, but has no idea who exactly they are. Well, if they are Cersei's prisoners, they can't help him now.</p><p>Whatever. After the White Walkers are defeated, the rest of the realm can waste time and energy with useless battles. But only <em>after</em>; now he needs everyone united if he wants to win the true war. If only he could convince these Southerners…</p><p>For some reason, Daenerys insists on having him alongside her to greet the Reach forces. <em>Does she want to parade me as a prisoner, or does she consider me her subject already? She does seem to assume the North is hers, even though it's been independent since Robert Baratheon's death.</em> He agrees anyway, since he has his own reasons to meet whoever is in command of these armies—Lady Olenna or someone else.</p><p>Indeed, an old lady walks in their direction. She wears black—not that anyone else isn't wearing black, now that he thinks about it—and covers her hair with some sort of veil, but even from a distance he can see she's fierce. <em>She has to be</em>, he supposes. <em>She wouldn't have survived losing her entire family otherwise.</em> He's heard of an explosion in King's Landing that nearly ended House Tyrell and, apparently, led to Cersei Lannister rising to the throne. He's not sure he wants to know the details.</p><p>"You must be Daenerys Targaryen", the lady says to the correct woman. "I am Olenna Tyrell, last of my house."</p><p>Daenerys puts on a smile. <em>Oh, she smiles for the woman. I get a near-murderous glare.</em> "Pleasure to meet you, Lady Tyrell. I indeed am Daenerys Targaryen, first of my n—"</p><p>"Yes, yes, Queen of Westeros, alright", the woman waves her off. "Spare us the immense list of titles, I know them all already. I'm here to aid you in your quest to take down Cersei Lannister and get the Iron Throne. I hope you are not expecting me to actually <em>bend</em> the knee."</p><p>Daenerys blinks. Clearly, she hasn't expected Lady Olenna to be who she is. <em>He</em> had no expectations, so he merely watches. "I am content with your word, my lady", she replies. "Shall we go inside?"</p>
<hr/><p>Hours later, they are all sitting together in the throne room. Missandei takes upon herself to introduce everyone, including Jon and Davos. "Tell me", the lady says, "how is a bastard King in the North? And what are you doing here, if you are not pledging yourself to Her Grace?"</p><p>He answers before the Dragon Queen can say insinuate he will bend the knee eventually. "My lady, I came here looking for an alliance. With all due respect, the North won't accept a queen who came suddenly after spending her whole life in Essos, <em>but</em> we are all willing to work together in order to defeat a common enemy."</p><p>He goes on to explain about the White Walkers and the threat they pose to the entire realm. Olenna listes with apparent attentiveness, more than Daenerys when he spoke to her about the subject. When he finishes, she simply asks, "What do they look like?"</p><p>The random question makes him frown, but he indulges her anyway. Her expression shifts as he describes the White Walkers and the wights, to the point he pauses himself midway to ask, "My lady? Are you well?"</p><p>She takes a sip of wine. "I told you I've come here to pledge the Reach to the Dragon Queen", she says, slowly, "but I didn't tell you how I came to know about your location, and how my army escaped without being tracked down by Cersei."</p><p>Something in her voice makes him tense. From the corner of his eye, he sees Daenerys flinch. "Well, my lady", she replies, "tell us then."</p><p>She sighs. "Weeks ago, I was in my study when a woman approached me. She told me all of Cersei's plans to decimate the Reach armies and seize our gold and grain supplies. The information didn't surprise me, but her knowledge of it did. You see, I've never <em>met</em> her before, so I tried to gather whether she could be trusted or not. Hm… Long story short, she proved herself to me, and then she told me about where you were and advised me to leave Highgarden empty by taking all armies here. But this isn't what matters right now, I think. I was just giving you context."</p><p>She takes another sip of wine. "What struck me—what makes me talk about her <em>now</em>—was her looks. If you look at the whole of her, you are certain she has Lannister blood. She looks enough like Cersei to be one—which reminds me, Lord Tyrion, is there any chance that you or a relative of yours sired children two decades ago?"</p><p>Tyrion blinks, startled. "Not that I remember, no", he replies. "<em>I</em> couldn't have sired a bastard twenty years ago. Maybe Cersei or Jaime, but I doubt it, given their history."</p><p>"Perhaps she's Tywin's then. Or Kevan's. No matter. This still isn't what drew my attention." She inhales. "It was her eyes. They were blue, but not any blue I've ever seen. I didn't think it possible for a human to have those eyes. Uncanny. Unsettling. Unnatural."</p><p>It doesn't sit right with him. He's never known White Walkers to speak or look like an ordinary human, but perhaps he hasn't met all kinds of undead. "And she told you to leave Highgarden empty?", he asks.</p><p>"Yes, and I did", she replies. "She said, and I quote: 'Go to Dragonstone, my lady. There you will find your queen and all answers you seek. I only ask your permission to stay here to wait for a friend.' I never bothered to ask which answers I was supposedly seeking, or who she was waiting for."</p><p>His reply is instant. "<em>This</em> is the answer she believed you to seek, Lady Olenna. The White Walkers are upon us, and your forces will be of great help to defeat them. But this woman… are you sure she looked alive?"</p><p>She frowns. "Yes. Her skin was white but slightly flushed, and her hand was warm when she touched me."</p><p>He shakes his head. "Still. She must be another kind of wight. One that can't be detained by the Wall."</p><p>Daenerys frowns. "But <em>who</em> is she waiting for…?"</p><p>"My brother", Tyrion says suddenly. Everyone turns to him, and he explains, "I've gathered that Jaime is Cersei's main battle commander. He will certainly be the one to lead an attack on Highgarden. She's waiting for <em>him</em>."</p><p>Daenerys doesn't look convinced. "Why would she want to meet him?"</p><p>"To get to Cersei", Jon says, realization dawning on him. "To the Queen in King's Landing. Emptying Highgarden will give them the impression that she's taken the castle. Ser Jaime will want to take her to the capital, to either bend the knee or be punished. There, if she is powerful enough, she can take over the throne and crown herself queen. It would be a massive victory for the Army of the Dead, to have one of them ruling the realm they aim to conquer."</p><p>He turns to Daenerys. "I know you want to overthrow Cersei. Believe me, I'd be happy to see her gone. But we <em>cannot </em>allow a White Walker in her place. She will kill everyone and then rise the dead to add to her own army. Cersei is only human; this woman is a <em>threat </em>to the realm."</p><p>She huffs in exasperation. "What do you want me to do? Fly to King's Landing right away and rescue the Lannister twins from a random woman just because her eyes are odd-looking?"</p><p>"With all due respect, Your Grace", Davos interferes. "Jon is well acquainted with the Army of the Dead. He's encountered and fought them many times. If he thinks this woman poses a threat, we should take his words seriously."</p><p>Daenerys switches her gaze between him, Davos and Olenna. "Still, what are we supposed to do?"</p><p>"Take me on your dragon", he replies. "We'll survey the way between Highgarden and King's Landing to find her." He sighs. "Let's pray she hasn't taken Cersei's armies already."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What's your guess? Is Alysanne telling the truth to Jaime, or is Jon right and she's going to take over King's Landing?<br/>Stay tuuuned &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Jaime III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>EDIT (12/12/2020): Re-readers: there's been a minor but important change in the chapter. If you don't spot it, check the end notes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He is forced to leave Alysanne—<em>his daughter</em>—when Bronn comes to check on him. "I'll see you soon", she tells him, "and then I'll tell you the rest. What happened after your death that made me go back to before I was born."</p><p>He nods. "Where is Lady Tyrell?" Somehow, he doesn't think she's dead, not in the way she first implied when he arrived.</p><p>"On her way to Dragonstone", she replies. "She will learn the truth of the White Walkers there, and hopefully will pledge her aid to the cause. Her armies will be of great help." She looks wistfully to the horizon. "You can tell Cersei she escaped and you couldn't find her. She'll call you stupid, most likely, but won't accuse you of treason."</p><p>He wants to ask her when they'll meet again and what her next move is, but decides against it. She isn't really his daughter, not yet; her original father is long gone</p><p>For all of Bronn's pestering, he barely speaks on their way back to King's Landing. Half of him is on high alert, expecting a dragon to fly over them at any moment, while the other half is revising everything Alysanne told him in the castle.</p><p>There is no more question on whether he should believe her. She couldn't fake her uncanny eyes or a <em>sap </em>bleeding; she is not fully human, that is clear. She also knows many things she shouldn't and has proven to be a sound judge of character of people she never met—namely him and Cersei. No other explanation makes sense, aside from the one she gave him: she is from the future, and Bran Stark—or the Three-Eyed Raven, whatever—told her all she had to know about this time. So, he doesn't think about the veracity of her claims, but on its contents.</p><p>White Walkers are real, and a new Long Night is near. The North is already aware of it, and its king is currently trying to gather support. In his daughter's world, they managed to defeat the Night King—which, from what he gathered, is the leader of the undead army—but it wasn't enough to avoid another Long Night. She hasn't had the time to tell him more about it, but the fact that she called it 'third Long Night' must mean some White Walkers survived, even if the Night King itself didn't. They likely didn't strike right away, given she made it to twenty years old, but eventually they wiped out the whole known world.</p><p>Brienne must have been one of the last to die, if her words upon his guessing are anything to go by—if she indeed told their daughter he'd be able to recognize her (despite having never met her), then she knew about her plan to go back in time. So did Bran Stark, so he probably was also among the last to perish. <em>Was he still confined to a wheelchair by then?</em></p><p>Aside from these two, Alysanne gave no other indication of who was alive near the end. He knows his brother, Brienne, Podrick, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Bronn and Robert's bastard survived the battles. He knows he, his sister and Daenerys did <em>not</em>. The rest is unclear. Did Qyburn and the Mountain survive? He doubts it; both of them stick close to Cersei, and she died in the Red Keep. Maybe the disgraced maester escaped, or even surrendered.</p><p>What about Euron? Deep down, he hopes he did not. Alysanne didn't even mention whether the man fought against the undead. He guesses he didn't. Who did the Greyjoy siblings side with? He's willing to bet they joined the Starks' side—or Daenerys', which might have been the same for a while.</p><p>They had to part ways before Alysanne could divulge anything about life after she was born. Did Brienne stay in the Kingsguard? Its members are not supposed to have children, but those vows are only meant to be followed <em>after</em> being taken, so maybe (King) Bran let her stay. He clearly did not mind, since he legitimized her as soon as she was born.</p><p>Was his daughter heir to both Tarth and Casterly Rock? She must have been to the former, but he's not sure about the latter. His death automatically made Tyrion Lord of the Rock—as it always should have been—but did her birth change things? Did Tyrion marry and sire children of his own?</p><p>He sighs. There won't be any answers to any of these questions before he meets his daughter again, and he'll drive himself mad if he tries to guess. What he needs to do is to find a way to make Cersei compliant to make a truce with the North; succeed where he once failed—even if it hasn't happened here yet.</p><p>As he enters King's Landing, he realizes Alysanne's actions already changed the course of events. She told him his army would be attacked by Daenerys' <em>before</em> he went back to the capital. The Dragon Queen must be busy with Olenna and her armies, then, if she hasn't shown up yet.</p><p>How will he be able to persuade his sister to compromise? He can't find a way to argue without mentioning Alysanne, and he highly doubts Cersei will like to hear he's talked to a woman who claims to be from the future. She won't like to hear he talked to <em>another woman</em>, period. So he can't bring her up, but how will he talk about the White Walkers otherwise?</p><p>Perhaps he's doomed to fail again, and his only mission is to <em>not </em>do whatever he did that drove him to his death the first time. If a third Long Night is coming, maybe it's for the best that some forces remain south, in order to better prepare for it. Maybe, when the parley comes to happen, he can instead negotiate to have the Lannister army stationed as back-up in case Winterfell falls. It likely won't—not with the additional men from the Reach—which means the Crown's forces will be spared while looking like they at least tried to contribute for the war effort.</p><p>Yes, it's a good strategy, he decides. That way Daenerys will be more willing to <em>talk</em> to Cersei instead of invading the city, and it will buy him time to convince his twin to surrender. King's Landing doesn't burn, nobody resorts to crowning an all-powered boy, and everyone's minds will be clearer and more focused when the third Long Night comes. It's a reasonable plan, even if it relies on other people's decisions to work.</p><p>He is distracted from his mental strategizing when he arrives at the throne room to find Cersei standing without the Mountain, Qyburn or Euron Greyjoy nearby. He finds it odd, but decides to ignore it as he greets her.</p><p>"I hope your mission was fulfilled without trouble", she says, and there is nothing on her expression that implies she already knows what happened.</p><p>He dismounts his horse. "Highgarden was completely empty when we got there", he tells her. "We got all the gold and grain we found, but it seems that they were informed of our impending arrival beforehand."</p><p>It's easy to catch her face hardening at the news. "Olenna Tyrell?"</p><p>"Nowhere to be found."</p><p>"Did you look <em>everywhere</em>?"</p><p>"All the places we could find, we looked. I left a garrison behind, in case they go back."</p><p>A short silence falls before she finally speaks again. "I suppose it doesn't matter. Highgarden and the Reach are ours now." She sighs. "Maester Qyburn, Ser Gregor and Euron Greyjoy were found dead yesterday. Security is enforced in the Red Keep as we speak, and the Gold Cloaks are investigating these murders."</p><p>Alysanne. It must have been her. He can't make out why she killed these three specifically, but his instinct tells him it was her, and he distrusts them enough to believe they played a part in her world's demise—to the point she didn't think they could be persuaded to change their ways and should be gotten rid of instead.</p><p><em>But she despises Cersei as well</em>, he thinks as he retires for his chambers, escorted by two guards. <em>So why hasn't she struck against her?</em> Perhaps, as Queen, his sister is still too important to be killed. Perhaps killing the Mountain was enough of an effort without revealing her presence, and she decided to not take any additional risks. Perhaps she can't bring herself to kill her own aunt. There are many possibilities.</p><p>For a moment, he thinks the guards will follow him inside his room, but thankfully they just position themselves at his door—which is a good thing, for Alysanne is waiting for him inside.</p><hr/><p>"How do you know about the secret passages", he asks carefully, in whispers, "if the Red Keep no longer existed when you were born?"</p><p>She doesn't miss a beat. "Bran showed me. Besides, the Red Keep was rebuilt over the years. <em>King's Landing</em> was rebuilt over the years. It never got to be finished, though."</p><p>Well, it answers his question concerning the new capital: it stayed the same. "There are guards right outside", he whispers again.</p><p>"I know", she whispers back. "I brought an empty book so we can write instead."</p><p>"Write the rest of the story, then", he replies.</p><p>She nods and shows him a half-written page, indicating she's already begun to do it. After whispering to her to turn her back to him, he takes his clothes off and goes to the bath. The bathtub is already full with warm water; was it done by servants, or by Alysanne? Does he want to know?</p><p>After a while, he finishes his bath and goes to his room in a towel to get dressed. His daughter doesn't turn from her task, not even when he opens the door to tell the guards he won't go to supper tonight, for he isn't hungry. It takes another while, but finally she finishes it.</p><p>"Take your time", she whispers. "I have to go, but we'll meet again soon, and then I'll answer any questions you might have."</p><p>He nods, taking the book. "Did you write about my death?"</p><p>She shakes her head. "It's better if I <em>tell</em> you. Out loud." Then, without another word, she leaves through the passage right next to his bed. Sighing, he opens the book.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The change made was to add the Mountain's death, which I forgot to mention.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Jaime IV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He guesses right away that she must have had trouble learning to read and write, much like he did. Some letters are written in reverse, and she gets some spelling wrong.</p><p><em>According to Mother, my birth wasn't nearly as painful as she expected. Samwell Tarly</em>—<em>the Grandmaester</em>—<em>and his wife Gilly said it was probably because she endured enough physical pain to dull this one a bit. Anyway, it went smoothly, according to everyone who saw it.</em></p><p>The Grand Maester is married? If he doesn't find answers for that, he will surely ask her when they meet again.</p><p>
  <em>I grew up in the Red Keep with Uncle Tyrion, the king, Bronn, Samwell, Gilly, their son Sam (who was six years older than me, thus already born now), Davos Seaworth (Master of Ships) and Pod. Sansa, Gendry and Yara visited on occasion, and so did Robin Arryn and the two Martell siblings who survived the slaughter led by the Sand Snakes, Princess Arianne and Prince Quentyn.</em>
</p><p>Alright, second question: <em>how</em> did these two escape? He didn't even know they were still alive, so they must be very well hidden. Also, Robin Arryn survived to adulthood? Congratulations to whoever made that happen.</p><p>
  <em>On my seventh nameday, Uncle gave me your Valyrian steel sword. He retrieved it from your body after the fall of King's Landing, and kept it for me ever since Mother found to be pregnant. No one told me it already had a name, so I first named it after you. It took awhile for Mother to convince me you can't name swords after people, so I changed it to Peacebringer. After hearing stories of your and Mother's skills, I decided I wanted to be even better, so I trained with two hands—well, it helped that I was two-handed already. I got knighted at sixteen by Mother; the second woman knight of Westeros.</em>
</p><p>He finds himself smiling at the imagery. Clearly, something happened for Alys to exchange her sword—his—for a Targaryen one, but it is nice to know Widow's Wail got a better name and a better wielder.</p><p>
  <em>Things were fine in my first sixteen years of life. The only bad news we've received came when I was six and Bran told us his sister Arya perished in a storm while voyaging the Sunset Sea. The king made some important reforms, arranged to have debts paid and managed to reinstate some order back to the realm. Spring came shortly before I was born, and I grew up in summer. All seemed well…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>...Except Bran found it odd that summer was so long lasting. No one batted an eye; it's how things always were, and everyone believed it was the Eternal Summer shining upon us. But the king said, when I was still a child of eight, that this wasn't how seasons were supposed to work. They came to be that with the arrival of the White Walkers, so their perishing should re-establish the natural order of things: a year with all four seasons, each lasting three moons.</em>
</p><p>You know, the idea of three-moon seasons sounds really nice to him.</p><p><em>The adults thought Bran a bit mad</em>—<em>perhaps a side effect of being the Three-Eyed Raven</em>—<em>but Sam and I trusted him. As years went by, Bran slowly took his body back, no longer just being the Raven, but he was still concerned.</em></p><p><em>The king and I talked a lot, especially when Mother wasn't near us. Over the years he learned to show his visions to others, which helped his communication skills</em>—<em>he was rather poor at those. As he grew older and truly wiser, he even managed to get his long lost love back</em>—<em>Meera Reed, who he drove away in his first days as Three-Eyed Raven.</em></p><p>He is far from understanding these powers Alysanne mentions, but he slightly envies Bran for being able to just <em>show</em> his thoughts to others. Not having to translate them into words sounds good.</p><p>Meera Reed… he thinks he's heard of this name before. Howland Reed's daughter, perhaps? He can't be sure. Oh well. It matters little now.</p><p><em>Oh, let me go back to the main issue. Bran always kept track of Drogon</em>—<em>Daenerys' last dragon</em>—<em>and the Free Folk</em>—<em>notably Jon, who went to live with them in his exile. When I was thirteen, he found Drogon dead in the ruins of Old Valyria, a place even the Raven cannot linger for too long. That didn't worry us too much, but then, when I was sixteen, he lost track of Jon.</em></p><p>
  <em>Something that should be said: Bran NEVER lost track of someone he was looking into before. Especially if said someone was in the north, where his powers are the strongest. He sent a letter to Sansa, urging her to look for Jon immediately. Months later, she found out he died along with a hundred of the Free Folk. The survivors told her of wights.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That's when everyone got worried. There were not supposed to be wights anymore; they all should have fallen with the Night King. Bran started to look into the present and the past to find out if he missed something or someone, but it was Tarly who made the key discovery.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He found many tales regarding the Night King's origins. It was said that he had been a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch; the 13th, to be more specific. He met a blue-eyed, dead-looking woman and fell in love with her. He then gave his very soul to marry her, and together they ruled the Nightfort for years. They were eventually driven away, but not killed.</em>
</p><p>He vaguely remembers this story from the time when Tyrion was obsessed with all Northern legends. It seems that <em>all</em> of them are indeed true, which means humanity is potentially fucked. Seven hells.</p><p>
  <em>Bran always thought the Night King had been the result of a failed ritual made by Children of the Forest in an attempt to defeat the First Men. However, as he tried to look further, he found his visions getting blurred, which raised suspicion. It was when I suggested it was a side effect of the mark the Night King gave him years ago, which never faded away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He decided to amputate his hand and wrist in an attempt to get rid of it. It worked partially; he still couldn't find out what was happening at that moment, but he could look a bit further into the past. That's when he found out more about the Night Queen.</em>
</p><p><em>I'm not going to explain how we learned each detail; it isn't important. What you need to know is this: she is stronger than the Night King, for he was her creation. She carries the same weaknesses as he did, though. Her army of undead were not as high in number as the Night King's at the beginning, but her wights are stronger and more intelligent, and retain their fight skills</em>—<em>unlike the ones faced in the Second Long Night, who relied on raw strength and limitless energy alone to attack.</em></p><p>
  <em>The Night King's army was always meant to be a distraction, meant to weaken the living for an easier strike. Given the multiple wars Westeros waged among themselves in the same period, the realm was largely unprepared for when the Night Queen's forces came.</em>
</p><p>As he grew older, Jaime came to realize most of the wars and battles fought in his life were utterly useless. Reading his daughter's report only reinforces his opinion; humanity was doomed by their own fights.</p><p><em>No warning was enough. The Night Queen not only had strong and skilled wight humans, she had many wight animals as well</em>—<em>including two dragons. Sansa only had time to send a letter with her finding before Winterfell was wiped out.</em></p><p>
  <em>The Night Queen had no interest in setting the whole realm on fire, though. She meant to rule, so she needed land and subjects. She used her dragons a handful of times only, just enough to get rid of bigger threats.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bran still couldn't track her, which made us even more desperate. He eventually concluded we were doomed; neither Westeros nor Essos had forces strong enough to defeat the Night Queen. The past decades were harsh on everyone, and there hadn't been enough time to rebuild ourselves.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At that point, we had all left King's Landing and gone to Essos. We went further and further east, until we reached Asshai. It was there where we decided I'd go North to find the Children of the Forest and get sent back in time. Three years have gone by.</em>
</p><p>He takes a sharp breath. Three years of endlessly fighting against an enemy that could not be defeated. He cannot imagine how desperate these people must have felt, losing loved ones and being unable to do anything to stop the slaughter. He's felt hopeless for less.</p><p>
  <em>We hid in the ruins of Stygai, which is north of Asshai, and Bran showed me everything I needed to know. Then he tried to look into the future—he was never really good at greensight—to find out when I could be sent to, so we could plan accordingly. There were some possibilities, but this is a talk for another day.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bran stayed behind to serve as a distraction. By then I already had Blackfyre in my possession, but I still wielded Peacebringer. Bronn, Podrick, Brienne and Ygg (a Bravoosi man who narrowly escaped it being set on fire) went with me. The oceans were all frozen at that point, so we basically walked.</em>
</p><p>Frozen oceans?</p><p>
  <em>It took me a year to reach the hideout of the Children. Yes, 'me', not 'us'. As I told you from the start, I was the last. We saw from afar when the Night Queen's dragons burned the Shadowlands—the last stand of the living. Bronn died before we stepped foot in the frozen sea, and Ygg drowned when the ice broke midway. Mother made it to Westeros with me, but was killed by some remaining wights two days before I found the Children. She died in my arms, telling me to keep going and stay strong.</em>
</p><p>A tear falls, and he sniffs. He knew Brienne's death would be mentioned at some point, but it still hurt to picture it—and to imagine his daughter alone in the world. At least Alysanne didn't give out any details.</p><p>
  <em>The Children gave me Dark Sister—I had to come with both Targaryen swords, for reasons I'll tell you later.</em>
</p><p>Gods, is there so much information to tell that she can't say everything at once?</p><p>
  <em>You know the rest: they performed the blood ritual that enabled me to go back in time. In order to ensure the Night Queen can be defeated this time, some things must be changed:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At least two of Daenerys' dragons must stay alive. In my world, Viserion was slain by the Night King, Rhaegal was slain by Euron Greyjoy, and Drogon died mysteriously. We can't let it happen. Dragon fire is our best chance, since it can kill dozens of wights at once.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As such, we need two dragon riders: Daenerys and Jon. If we get Viserion to stay alive, Bran can warg into it.</em>
</p><p>Sorry, but how is <em>Jon Snow</em> a dragon rider?</p><p>
  <em>We need two people to wield the two halves of Ice—you and Mother. Neither of you can die this time. I can easily wield both Targaryen swords, so we won't need a fourth wielder. We still need Bran alive. Arya should stay alive as well; she has a very specific skill set that is not easy to replace. Melisandre's (Stannis' red priestess) abilities may be useful too.</em>
</p><p><em>We need efficient leaders too. For the North, we need Jon (again) and Sansa. For the Vale, Robin Arryn should be enough</em>—<em>with Sansa's help. For the West, you (again). For the East, Davos. For the South, Olenna Tyrell and Arianne Martell. For the Iron Islands, the Greyjoy siblings. For Essos, Daenerys (again) should suffice.</em></p><p>
  <em>I plan to come out to Cersei as Kevan's bastard—she won't believe I'd be Tywin's—and pledge to her Queensguard. The place where I can be the most useful is here in the capital. We'll talk more in the following days. I only ask you to trust me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You have no idea how happy I am to meet you, Father. You were celebrated as a hero in my world, and Mother loved you until the end of her days. I'm looking forward to getting to know you in person.</em>
</p><p>At that last sentence, he finds himself crying. He has a daughter he can claim—not now, but hopefully soon. One he can hug, whose forehead he can kiss goodnight. Share stories with, give advice. Tell 'I love you' and mean it the way he wants to. Everything he was never able to do with Joffrey, Myrcella or Tommen.</p><p>Not to mention she's his daughter with <em>Brienne</em>. Honorable, stubborn, loyal, wonderful Brienne. He has no doubt she raised their daughter to be the best person she can be. <em>And she loved me until the end. What have I done to deserve this?</em></p><p>He can have it all for real this time—<em>live</em> to see it happen, to raise his daughter alongside her mother. Whatever his other self's mistakes were, he'll do his best to fix them. <em>Not marrying Brienne was certainly one of them. I'll propose to her as soon as possible.</em></p><p>For now, though, all he can do is wait. When Alysanne shows up, he will vouch for her. Then, together, they will plan for the wars to come. He will help her fix the future, and he won't let her suffer again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Cersei</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cersei welcomes her bastard cousin to court and notices Jaime's changes in behavior.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As odd as it sounds at first, she doesn't disbelieve the odd-eyed woman's claims to be her uncle's bastard daughter.</p>
<p>"And who is your mother?", she asks simply.</p>
<p>"A whore, Your Grace", the woman—Alysanne—replies easily. "Your father sent us to Braavos after finding out about my existence. While Mother… worked to provide for us, I sneaked in men's sword training. Some of Mother's clients indulged me, so here I am."</p>
<p>Her story makes sense—her unnaturally looking blue eyes must come from her mother—but there is another question that needs to be answered. "Why are there two swords on your back?"</p>
<p>The woman raises her hands to touch the swords' hilts. "I'm two-handed, Your Grace. The instructors said it was too good of an ability to go to waste by training with only one hand."</p>
<p>She nods. "Very well. You say you wish to serve me in the Queensguard?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Your Grace. Ever since my mother died, I've wanted to come back home and serve my family—what is left of it, at least. My father and brother are gone, but my cousin is Queen, and I'd be honored to serve you. As a bastard, my best option for that is to join your royal guard… if you'll have me."</p>
<p>She's tempted to accept her right away; after all, a Lannister bastard in her Queensguard—and a <em>woman</em>, nonetheless—would send quite a message to her allies <em>and</em> enemies. However, such a job requires trust, and she can't bring herself to trust this woman after just meeting her. "My brother Jaime, your other cousin, is a former Kingsguard member", she says. "You will be mentored by him for the next few days. Only when you are proven worthy will you be made Queensguard."</p>
<p>The woman nods and thanks her. Cersei orders her guards to escort her to Jaime—who asked to spend the day outside to recover from an illness he had last night. This Alysanne will be useful for the wars to come, she decides. <em>If she proves her loyalty, I might even give her Highgarden.</em></p><hr/>
<p>A sennight has gone by when Jaime approaches her in her chambers. They haven't been really alone since he came back from Highgarden, not even after she officially named him Hand of the Queen in a simple ceremony at the throne room. She's reminded of the first days after his return from captivity: distant, closed off, out of reach. <em>No matter,</em> she thinks. <em>Soon he'll return to me, just like he did that time.</em></p>
<p>Apparently, though, not today. Her twin goes to her wearing armor, something he seldom does when he intends to have her. No, he's here for business. "Your Grace", he greets her, and the formality of his tone seals his intentions. "I come here to speak to you about Ser Alysanne."</p>
<p>She frowns. "Ser?" She hasn't known the Lannister bastard to be a knight.</p>
<p>He blinks and shrugs. "She claims to have been knighted by a Westerosi exile before coming. A Connington, I think."</p>
<p>"I doubt this is a valid claim."</p>
<p>"If she's going to be in the Queensguard, does it matter if her claims are valid? She'll be called 'Ser' anyway."</p>
<p>Fair enough, she supposes. "So she <em>is</em> fit for the Queensguard, then?"</p>
<p>He nods. "She can easily beat all of our soldiers with her dual swords, and she is good in hand-to-hand combat. I also saw no signs of ill will on her part." He shrugs again. "Not that I'm the best at reading this kind of sign, but I suppose you'll be the first to notice if she plans to betray us anyway."</p>
<p>"Oh, I will", she nearly hisses, then calms down. There is no use being harsh to Jaime, not when he's one of her last willful supporters. "Bring her here, then. She will say the vows now."</p>
<p>"Of course", he replies. "I'll bring her to the throne room."</p>
<p>As he leaves, she fixes her hair quickly and heads to the throne room. She doesn't bother sitting on the throne, for soon Alysanne will come, and she will have to stand close to her for the ceremony. <em>Was Jaime carrying Widow's Wail with him?</em>, she wonders. <em>Hopefully yes. I'd like to use it.</em></p>
<p>He comes back with the Lannister bastard not long later, and she confirms he is indeed with the Valyrian steel sword attached. She signals for him to give it to her, and he obeys. As she adjusts the sword in her hand—it's lighter than expected—she commands the woman, "Kneel."</p>
<p>Alysanne is quick to follow her command, standing on one knee and lowering her head. Slowly—she's never done this before—Cersei touches her left shoulder with Widow's Wail. "Do you swear to protect your queen with all your strength and give your blood for hers if needed?"</p>
<p>"I swear", she replies smoothly.</p>
<p>She moves the sword to the right shoulder. "Do you swear to counsel your queen when requested, keep silent when not, and keep your queen's secrets to your grave?"</p>
<p>"I swear."</p>
<p>Back to the left shoulder. "Do you swear to obey your queen without question, keep her pleasure and defend her name and honor?"</p>
<p>"I swear."</p>
<p>Finally, back to the right shoulder. "In order to fulfill your vows, do you swear not to take husband, children, titles or glories?"</p>
<p>"I swear."</p>
<p>"Then arise, Ser Alysanne Hill, a knight of the Queensguard."</p>
<p>The woman follows in kind, smiling as she stands. "Thank you for this privilege, Your Grace. It is the greatest honor you could afford me, and I hope to be found worthy of it."</p>
<p>"I'm sure you will", she replies sweetly. "Ser Jaime, you can get your sword back. Please show Ser Alysanne her new chambers as a member of the Queensguard. Your duties begin tomorrow."</p>
<p>Her brother's face betrays no emotion as he grabs his sword and guides Alysanne out of the room, which is strange in itself. <em>He's not telling me the whole truth about what happened in Highgarden, is he?</em> She has to investigate further.</p><hr/>
<p>Two days later, she receives news from Petyr, the new scribe, appointed after Qyburn's death. "Princess Arianne Martell has taken back her family's seat in Sunspear, Your Grace", he tells her. "She wrote you requesting Ellaria and Tyene Sand back in order to enact justice for murdering her father and brother."</p>
<p>She's sitting on the Iron Throne this time, with Alysanne guarding her. "Write back to her saying that we enacted justice already. Remind her that loyalty to the Crown is expected."</p>
<p>"Consider it done, Your Grace", he says and leaves.</p>
<p>She then turns to her guard. "Ser Alysanne", she calls, "what do you know of Dorne and House Martell?"</p>
<p>The woman bites her lip and narrows her eyes, as if trying to recall some memories. "They descend from the Rhoynar", she begins. "Taken to Westeros by Queen Nymeria. She's a hero to them, I think. They were the last kingdom to bend to the Iron Throne, but maintained their princely titles. Their customs are very different from the rest of the realm. There was recently a Martell in the royal family…?"</p>
<p>"Yes", she answers the implied question. "Elia Martell married Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. She died in the war that made my late husband king. Do you know his name?"</p>
<p>"Robert Baratheon", she replies immediately.</p>
<p>Cersei hums, satisfied. "Ellaria Sand was Prince Oberyn Martell's paramour", she says, because it's unlikely that a woman who lived in Braavos until recently knows the story. "Oberyn defended my brother Tyrion in a trial by combat, when he was accused of killing my son Joffrey, who was king at the time." To this day, she is not sure why the Red Viper sided with Tyrion. Was it solely because his opponent would be the Mountain, or did the two men form a friendship? "He died in that trial. A rather cruel death, but a fair one nonetheless. One must be prepared to die in a trial by combat, if the gods are not in their favor. Ellaria did not seem to understand that, though, and, along with her daughter with Oberyn—the Sand Snakes, as they proudly called themselves—planned to avenge his death."</p>
<p>She then gazes at his bastard cousin, who tilts her head. "I suppose it didn't work as well as planned."</p>
<p>Cersei closes her eyes. "They killed my daughter, who was living in Sunspear under the Martells' protection. Then they killed Prince Doran, who ruled Dorne, and his heir Trystane, who was betrothed to Myrcella. Of course, we had to act in retribution." She opens her eyes. "Euron Greyjoy captured and killed most of them, leaving only Ellaria and Tyene to the Crown. They perished in the Black Cells."</p>
<p>Alysanne nods. "The surviving princess is bound to be grateful, then."</p>
<p>"She is", the queen agrees.</p>
<p>"But what if she isn't?"</p>
<p>Part of her wants to tell her to shut up; her duty is not to ask 'what if's, but to obey. However, it is a valid concern on her part. "Then we make sure to replace her with loyal lords."</p>
<p>She nods. "Like you did with House Tyrell and Highgarden", she states.</p>
<p>Distantly, she hears steps entering the throne room, but her blood is pulsing too loud to pay attention. "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>The bastard frowns. "Isn't it what you did, after the Sept of Baelor burned? From what I've gathered, I arrived a day after Ser Jaime came back from taking Highgarden."</p>
<p>"What do you know about the Sept?", she hisses.</p>
<p>Alysanne blinks. "It exploded on the day of your trial. House Tyrell as a whole was there, but you weren't, and neither was the king—who died shortly after the explosion, which led to your coronation." Then, she turns her whole body to Cersei. "A tragedy, but it worked in House Lannister's favor, so I suppose it wasn't all that bad, right?"</p>
<p>Her tone is so earnest, she allows herself to relax. "Yes", she says. "A tragedy indeed, but House Tyrell was a traitor to the Crown, and so was my son."</p>
<p>A voice speaks up—Jaime's. "Pardon me, Your Grace", he says, and she raises her head in his direction, "but how could Tommen have been a traitor, if he was the king himself at the time?"</p>
<p>She freezes in her position. At the back of the room, she sees shadows—men are standing there, watching. "He wasn't loyal to his family", she replies, hoping it will be enough.</p>
<p>"<em>He</em> wasn't loyal to his family", Jaime repeats, slowly, "or <em>his family</em> wasn't loyal to him?"</p>
<p>She grits her teeth. "Say your piece, Lord Jaime", she hisses. "We both know you're not one to play games."</p>
<p>He arches his eyebrows. <em>He's not coming back to me this time</em>, she realizes. "Very well, then, <em>Your Grace</em>. You said King Tommen—your son—died because he was a traitor, but he died after throwing himself off the Red Keep, from a window from which he must have witnessed the explosion of the Sept of Baelor. An explosion by <em>wildfire</em>, meaning it was no accident, like the deceased Maester Qyburn tried to convince the people. One of the victims, Margaery Tyrell, was his wife—his <em>queen</em>—which means whoever had the sept exploded committed treason against the Crown." He turns to Alysanne. "Did you know, cousin, that your father and half-brother perished in that explosion?"</p>
<p>Her eyes—which rarely show anything but their uncanny shade of blue—sadden at that. "No, my lord", she replies. "I only knew they were dead."</p>
<p>She turns her head to her guard. "Don't listen to him", she commands. "He speaks treasonous words."</p>
<p>"Do I, sister?", Jaime counters. "It can only be treasonous if I'm accusing <em>you</em> of ordering the explosion, which I did not." He grins. "But clearly, I don't have to. You all but confessed just now."</p>
<p>She stands. "Liar", she balks. "I'd never kill my good daughter, along with hundreds of people, noble and baseborn, for no reason at all!"</p>
<p>"No reason at all?" Jaime's grin falls. "You were about to face trial for sins against the Faith—a trial you had no chance of leaving unscathed. Out of all possible suspects, you are the one who benefited the most out of this tragedy. Your trial was cancelled, your enemies—as you declared House Tyrell officially enemies of the Crown—were practically wiped out, and you were crowned shortly after. Few people in this city are acquainted with wildfire, but it is known that you had many caches ordered from the pyromancer's guild. What else for, if not for eliminating your enemies?"</p>
<p>She takes a step down the throne. "Is this your version of a trial, <em>brother</em>?"</p>
<p>He raises an eyebrow. "This is not <em>my version</em> of a trial; this <em>is</em> a trial. You are charged with numerous crimes, sister. Shall I list them to you?" He doesn't wait for her answer. "You are accused of kingslaying. You had our cousin Lancel—your guard's half-brother—poison King Robert so he'd suffer a hunting accident, then worked with the late maester Pycelle to ensure he wouldn't survive his injuries. You are accused of queenslaying—Margaery Tyrell. You are accused of another kingslaying, as well as kinslaying—your actions directly drove Tommen to suicide. I'd list the other numerous war crimes you've committed over the years, but those alone are sufficient to draw a sentence."</p>
<p>She looks around; no one in the room moves. "<em>I am your Queen!</em>", she exclaims to them. "I demand you seize Lord Jaime at once!"</p>
<p>"I am Hand of the Queen", he reminds her. "I have as much power to judge you as you have to judge me. What do you have to say in your defense, sister?"</p>
<p>For a moment, she sees red. This is a made-up trial, an act of treason on her own brother's part, but it is clear no one will stand in her defense. He has planned this for days and worked to turn her men against her; she's sure of it now. "I demand trial by combat", she declares. "Ser Alysanne Hill will be my champion. Do you name yours, <em>Lord Hand</em>?"</p>
<p>He grins. "I can fight in my own name. Ser", he turns to the bastard, "are you ready?"</p>
<p>Her face betrays nothing as she draws her sword. "Yes." And charges at her brother.</p>
<p>Cersei smirks as their swords meet blow by blow, but her face falls as she notices Alysanne is not carrying dual swords today, as she usually does. She hasn't taken notice of that until now. <em>No bother; Jaime is next to useless without his sword hand.</em></p>
<p>However, as the fight becomes a blur, she realizes either Jaime has gotten too good at fighting with his left hand or her cousin is not as skilled as she claimed to be. <em>Jaime vouched for her</em>, she remembers, <em>but if he was planning to betray me for days, of course he'd falsely praise a mediocre fighter.</em></p>
<p>Then, suddenly, "I yield", she hears her white sword say while on her knees. Her sword is nowhere to be seen, and Jaime's touches her chin.</p>
<p>Her brother grins at their cousin. "Wise choice, Ser", he tells her. "A false queen is not worth dying for." He turns to Cersei, face serious. "The gods have judged you guilty, sister. Any last words?"</p>
<p>"<em>Traitor!</em>", she shouts. "We are two halves of a whole! We were born together, to die together, and you <em>betray me</em>? For <em>who</em>?"</p>
<p>She feels more than she sees the sword on her belly. As she falls on her knees, she hears Jaime say, "<em>You</em> betrayed me first, Cersei." His voice is sad. Why, if he won? "When you lied to me. When you swore I was the only one", his voice lowers, "only to turn to multiple men the moment I was away. When you turned Joffrey into a monster and drove Tommen to suicide. When you kept demanding, time and time again, services that brought me dishonor. When you told me you loved me, but turned out to only love what I could do for you. When you doomed humanity to burn, and me to crumble."</p>
<p>She wants to ask what he means with his last sentence, but her voice doesn't come. Instead, it's darkness that comes for her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter will feature flashbacks that will explain this one better! I know it might look sudden, but only because it is told from Cersei's perspective.</p>
<p>But first, I want to clarify the timeline:<br/>- Alysanne arrived in this timeline weeks before the story began. She sent Olenna away and waited for Jaime for several days.<br/>- Olenna's journey to Dragonstone took a lot of time. She arrived there around the time Jaime was going back to King's Landing.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Jaime V</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He has Cersei burned. "She should go the same way her enemies went, in fire", he claims, but the real reason is that he doesn't want to risk his sister turning into a wight. He and Alysanne stand vigil of her body for the whole night. They stay silent the whole time, but carry long conversations with their eyes. They did the right thing, he knows, but knowing doesn't make it any easier.</p><p>He remembers her finally disclosing the circumstances behind his death, two days after she presented herself to Cersei.</p><p>
  <em>Her uncanny eyes are impossibly sad when she begins to talk. She's taken him to the godswood, the only place in the Red Keep people don't really venture to. "I… do you remember how you used to… 'go away inside' sometimes?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He frowns. "Of course", he says, and adds a confession, "I still do, sometimes. But how do you know about it? I don't think I've ever told anyone that."</em>
</p><p>"<em>You advised Mother to do it", she replies, "when the Bolton men tried to rape her. You jumped in her defense when it didn't work. Bran showed me that moment to explain why you lost your hand, but that sentence struck me, so I made him go all the way back to your child and teenage years. We figured that you 'went away inside' every time your eyes were unfocused and you behaved like a shell of a person instead of someone whole."</em></p><p>
  <em>He gulps. He's never seen himself while away from reality, of course, but he has a feeling her description is spot on. She continues, "This was how you looked in your last moments. You died while locked inside yourself."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He looks away for a moment. "Tell me from the start. I remember you said I was in Winterfell with Brienne. I guess you were… conceived there. What happened that apparently made me go away inside and ride to my death in King's Landing?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She sighs and rushes her hand through her hair. "Yes, you two laid together in Winterfell, after the battle. Mother says your affair lasted a whole moon turn." He feels himself blush. A whole month making love to Brienne... "I saw when Bronn came to Wintertown, carrying an order to kill you and Tyrion."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Cersei?"</em></p><p>"<em>Yes. She didn't have you killed in King's Landing, but saw an opportunity to get rid of her two traitor brothers at once. Bronn is fond of you two, though, and gave you a chance to up her offer. That's how he got Highgarden." That makes sense, yet he still refuses to accept it. "It seemed you had parted ways with her for good. Daenerys marched to King's Landing, and you stayed, even though all odds were against Cersei."</em></p><p>"<em>Of course I stayed", he all but hisses. "One option is to stay with the woman I love, and another is to back up a woman who tried to kill me twice. It isn't hard to choose."</em></p><p>"<em>It isn't", she agrees. "I'm glad you admit to love Mother, by the way."</em></p><p>"<em>How could I not?", he replies before thinking, grinning. But then said grin falls. "But I went anyway, in the end. What changed my mind?"</em></p><p>"<em>Sansa. She received updates from the battles, and told you, 'I always wanted to be there when they executed your sister. Seems like I won't get the chance.' And then, puff. You retreated inside bit by bit, until you were no longer there."</em></p><p><em>He gulps again. "And then I</em>—<em>my… aloof version left Winterfell."</em></p><p>
  <em>She looks at the ground. "Mother tried to stop you. Told you there was no need to die with Cersei. Tried to remind you that you were a good man. In response, you listed all crimes you committed for Cersei. You even told her you'd kill everyone in Riverrun for her, even though you took the castle without bloodshed for Mother. You said, and I quote, 'She's hateful and so am I'. Then left."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He feels himself falling on his knees, suddenly too weak to stand. "No", he lets out, no louder than a whisper. "I didn't do this."</em>
</p><p>"<em>You weren't yourself", she says, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "It was rather clear on your face. But Mother didn't know you long enough to recognize that look. In fact, all who could have</em>—<em>the ones who got to witness it when you did it every day at the Red Keep</em>—<em>are long gone, so not even Tyrion recognized it. Not even Cersei, even though you often did it near her</em>—<em>she never really bothered to tell the difference."</em></p><p>
  <em>He feels tears falling. "What happened afterwards?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>You were arrested by Daenerys' army as you got closer. Tyrion tried to figure out what you were planning to do, but never got a concrete answer, so he decided to plan it for you. He told you to ring the city bells to signal surrender, then take Cersei out of the … you both believed her to be pregnant at the time. She told you as much, multiple times."</em></p><p>"<em>But she wasn't." It's not a question, but she answers all the same.</em></p><p>"<em>Not at the time of her death, no. Maybe she was, before you left. Not even Bran could figure that out. It doesn't matter, really. What matters… you rang the bells, you reached her, but the castle fell before you could flee. Uncle Tyrion said you were in each other's arms when he found you."</em></p><p><em>He feels dizzy, and not in a good way. He always said he wanted to die in the arms of the woman he loves, and for the longest time it meant Cersei</em>—<em>but not anymore. "Born together to die together", he whispers.</em></p><p>"<em>But it wasn't meant to be that way", she tells him. "You were supposed to </em>live<em>, Father. Your death was one the many that doomed us, years later. I'm here, among other things, to </em>save <em>you, so please help me. Stay alive this time. You are not Aunt Cersei; you don't have to die with her."</em></p><p>"<em>I won't", he says, and it sounds like a vow.</em></p><p>Even now, his daughter keeps looking at him with concern. He knows why: she's afraid he will go away inside again and do something stupid to join his sister. He wants to tell her not to worry, that he is well aware of all things he has to live for now: her, Brienne, humanity. But decorum requires both of them to stay silent, especially as the deceased queen's kin—it doesn't matter they were the ones behind her death, or that she died a traitor. Cersei was still queen, and still of noble birth. A proper funeral must be given before she's burned.</p><p>So, he can't talk. He reminisces instead. The day after Alysanne shared with him the story of how he died in her world, she told him about the importance of her current swords.</p><p>"<em>How often did you speak to Rhaegar, back then?", she asks after a spar. It's such a random question, he pauses before answering.</em></p><p>"<em>A few times. Enough to make out his character. Why?"</em></p><p>"<em>Has he ever told you about… prophecies?"</em></p><p><em>He frowns and shakes his head. He's heard, at the time of the rebellion, whispers that Rhaegar had become prophecy-driven on the moons before his abduction of Lyanna Stark. Nothing that sounded relevant, though</em>—<em>not until now.</em></p><p>"<em>He found a book of them", Alysanne says. "Written by his ancestor, Daenys the Dreamer. I don't know how; if Bran knew, he didn't deem it important enough to show me. Anyway, there was one about the 'prince that was promised', his would be the 'song of ice and fire'. There was also something about a three-headed dragon. Anyway, he understood, for reasons I don't fully get, that said prince was to be born from his parents' line. Since it clearly wasn't him or Viserys</em>—<em>neither of them fit</em>—<em>he decided the prince would be born from his seed. First came Rhaenys, then Aegon. When Elia found out she could not bear a third child, he plotted to get his third dragon head</em>—<em>he correctly guessed 'dragon' meant 'Targaryen'. He and Elia studied the prophecies again, and guessed 'song of ice and fire' meant 'Targaryen' and 'Stark'. That's why he courted and later abducted Lyanna Stark. To produce a third dragon head for his promised prince."</em></p><p>
  <em>That is the first part of all information she gives him that day. He asks for a whole hour to process it. When he comes back to her, he asks, "So Lyanna went willingly?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She nods. "It wasn't a love affair per se. Lyanna and Rhaegar befriended at the tourney, and she knew they had Elia's consent and blessing. I don't know how she was convinced that her help was actually important. Bran skipped that part."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Did they succeed? Is there a bastard of Rhaegar's running around?"</em></p><p>
  <em>She frowns. "Not a bastard", she clarifies. "They got married in the Isle of Faces. I told you they had Elia's blessing; there was no need to take Lyanna as a mistress. But yes, she got pregnant." A pause. "Have you ever wondered how a young, supposedly healthy woman was suddenly found dead?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shakes his head, feeling ashamed all of a sudden. "I never really thought about her. She died in childbirth, didn't she?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>Her brother Eddard found her dying of a birth fever. Even half-conscious, Lyanna knew her baby would be in danger. She knew Rhaegar had died, though she did not know of Elia. Regardless, she begged for her brother to protect her son. He did the best he could…"</em></p><p>
  <em>His eyes widen. "And hid him as his own bastard." Jon Snow. That's how the (not) bastard became a dragon rider!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She grins. "Bran initially thought Lyanna named him Aegon, but I don't need to tell you how absurd it sounded. When he showed me the memory, I got closer and heard her saying 'Aemon'. Not that it mattered; he was given a non-Targaryen name in the end."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He inhales. "Since he rode a dragon in your world", he says, "I suppose he found out."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Tarly told him", she replies, "and Bran confirmed it. By then he and Daenerys had a semi-steady relationship, but he was really troubled by that revelation. Not only was he ahead of her in the succession line, she was his aunt."</em></p><p>
  <em>He can't help a chuckle. "Ned Stark must be turning on his grave."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Probably", she agrees. "He told her. She didn't like it, even though he insisted he had no interest in being King of Westeros. She grew distrustful of him and of the Starks, and her paranoia showed. Tyrion and Varys found out, and started to think Jon would actually be a better option. Of course, it only fueled Daenerys' paranoia, especially as she kept losing not only her dragons, but people dear to her."</em></p><p>
  <em>He lowers his eyes. "She slowly turned mad", he guesses.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Yes", she answers. "For whatever reason, the bells ringing… triggered something in her. Like… it wasn't enough to have the city surrender peacefully. It was too easy, it had to be a trap. We'll never know, actually; Bran can't read minds. Fact is, she burned the whole city and became Queen of Ashes."</em></p><p>"<em>And then Jon killed her to stop the madness", he supplies. She told him that already.</em></p><p>
  <em>She nods. "Her remaining armies were enraged, of course, and demanded justice. Bran wanted an informant up north, so he took the opportunity and exiled him to the lands beyond the Wall."</em>
</p><p>That particular revelation has unsettled him since then. Years ago, he vowed to guard Aerys, Rhaegar and his children. He killed Aerys, was unable to protect Rhaegar in the Trident and failed to save Rhaenys and Aegon, but now he knows he has another chance to fulfill his original vows: Jon Snow—Aemon Targaryen, whatever his name actually is.</p><p>And Daenerys is Aerys' daughter, just like Rhaegar was. She was born after Robert was already crowned, but his oath was extended to her too, just like it extended to her brothers. He failed Rhaella and Viserys, but can he do right by Daenerys?</p><p>Granted, he's sure neither of them will be eager to have him. But Alysanne has made it clear, many times, that all of them had to live in order to defeat the Night Queen. Both of them would have to tolerate him, which means he had a chance to prove he wouldn't just kill them if he felt like it. And maybe, just maybe, he could help prevent Daenerys from turning mad once again</p><p>However, the revelation of a secret Targaryen hadn't been what his daughter truly wanted to tell him that day.</p><p>"<em>But that's not the point", she says. "The point is, Rhaegar guessed right that the three-headed dragon meant three Targaryens, but he was wrong about the song of ice and fire part."</em></p><p>"<em>It didn't mean that a Stark and a Targaryen had to unite?"</em></p><p>"<em>Not necessarily, and not necessarily by producing a child." She sighs. "Bran and I smashed our heads to figure that one out. Uncle Tyrion and Tarly helped, but we almost didn't get it, and sometimes I'm still afraid we got it wrong, but… it's our best guess." She fixes her gaze at the sword on his hip. "Your sword was forged from another."</em></p><p>
  <em>He nods. "The Stark sword, Ice."</em>
</p><p>"<em>You and Mother wield one half of it each."</em></p><p>"<em>Yes."</em></p><p>"<em>Have you ever paid attention to the sounds the clash of swords make?"</em></p><p><em>He closes his eyes to recall all his sword fights. It's always the same sounds, which, together, could easily make a</em>—</p><p>"<em>No shit", he lets out. "You think 'song' means</em>—"</p><p>"<em>A clash of swords? Yes. More precisely, a clash of swords against the enemy. 'Ice' is obvious. As for 'fire'... It makes perfect sense that it should be the two Targaryen swords, don't you think?"</em></p><p>
  <em>It does. "Rhaegar guessed it right that it required an alliance between Starks and Targaryens", he says. "It just wasn't the one he thought."</em>
</p><p><em>She nods. "I mean, Jon's birth was important", she concedes, "and Rhaenys and Aegon's deaths left a… hole in the great scheme of things. Daenerys is a substitute; a good one, but still. Not to mention Viserys is long gone, so... We don't have a third head; if we ever need one</em>—<em>if Viserion doesn't die</em>—<em>either Bran will have to warg into it, or we'll have to try our luck and have someone else bond with it." She sighs. "But the thing is, Jon could have been born from any other woman. Elia could have tried again. He could have taken Aunt Cersei, just like Grandfather wanted. Even a random whore would have worked. More important than finding the right womb should have been finding the swords." She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter now. We have ice and fire, and we can make this right."</em></p><p>Finally, a pyre is lit. As he watches his sister turn to ashes, he thinks of the future.</p><p>He is king now. All who saw him execute Cersei said as much—there is no one else to take that damn chair. He wanted to refuse, but Alysanne had already talked to him about it.</p><p>"<em>You'll have to take the throne", she reminds him on the morning of the day they set to confront Cersei. He had bribed the scribe, Petyr, to show him all of Cersei's letters before delivering them to her, so he already knows about Arianne Martell's return to Sunspear. "And not just because you are next in line."</em></p><p>"<em>Why else? Please don't tell me I'd make a good king."</em></p><p>"<em>I have no idea", she admits, "but you know about the threat of the White Walkers. Your men will listen to you, and we can begin to strategize even before Daenerys and Jon arrive. You can reveal my true identity to them after she dies, if you think it will help."</em></p><p>
  <em>He ruffles his hand through his hair. "You are right", he concedes. "The crown will give me all the aid we need for this. It doesn't mean I want to keep it."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Feel free to give it away after this is all over. I don't care much for what happens after the Night Queen is defeated. I mean, I'd like to be born this time around too, but</em>—<em>oh, you know what I mean."</em></p><p>
  <em>He sighs. "Is this really necessary?"</em>
</p><p><em>She sighs in return, frustrated. It's not the first time they have that conversation. It's probably the third or the fourth, ever since she first came with a plan to get rid of Cersei</em>—<em>staging a trial so fast-paced she wouldn't be able to scheme her way out, apparently inspired by a similar plan pulled by the Starks in order to kill Littlefinger.</em></p><p>"<em>Mother and Uncle tried their best to come up with ways to spare her", she tells him. "Uncle wanted me to succeed where he failed, and Mother thought you wouldn't be able to move on from her death." Her tone implies she disagrees, and he thinks his daughter has the right of it, as painful as it is to realize that. "But Bran knew better. </em>I <em>knew better. Perhaps, had I managed to go further back in time, saving her would have been possible. But not here, not now. She's too far gone, and she will only bring us down. She knows about the wildfire; none of us are safe as long as she is alive. I'm sorry, I really am. I'm not looking forward to killing my aunt, but humanity's future is at stake." A pause. "You've had days to think of an alternate solution. Have you?"</em></p><p>
  <em>He hides his face on his good hand. "No", he admits. "Honestly, I wish we could just leave her there and work from the shadows."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She shakes her head. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing", she tells him solemnly, as if reciting a lesson.</em>
</p><p>"<em>This implies that I am a good man", he replies gently.</em></p><p>"<em>Good and evil are not permanent choices", she retorts, but gently too. "I've seen you choosing good so far."</em></p><p>
  <em>He frowns. "And arranging my twin's death is a good decision?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She blinks. "Was killing Aerys a good one?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His silence is answer enough for both of them.</em>
</p><p>Smoke hits him, shaking him off his reminiscing. He doesn't want to tell his men the whole truth about Alysanne. He may tell she's his child as soon as he convinces them she's from the future, but he won't disclose her mother's name. That information is between him, Alys and Brienne.</p><p>It is late night when the fire dies out; there are no bones to collect. He retreats to his chambers and falls in troubled sleep, full of nightmares. His eyes are dark in the morning, but he ignores them as he calls all his generals. He has a war to prepare for.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, the theories/headcanons shown here, regarding Rhaegar/Elia/Lyanna story and the meaning of prophecies, are among the many I have about the subject. To be honest, I'll laugh my ass off if any of them prove to be true in the books (especially the one about the swords) haha<br/>About Jaime's dissociation... I can't remember if it was ever addressed in the show, but Nikolaj's acting choices in his last episodes (from the moment Sansa tells Jaime about Cersei to his final moments) leave open to interpretation whether he was truly present or if he dissociated.</p><p>If you still have any questions about Alysanne's timeline, tell me! There are still many things for her to share with Jaime (notably stuff about Brienne and anecdotes on the war against the Night Queen), but maybe your questions might remind me of a topic I'm not thinking of covering.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Jon II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jon and Daenerys go to King's Landing and are in for many surprises.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I think this is the first time I take more than 24 hours to update haha<br/>I began posting this story when I already had 5 chapters ready, but now I have none ready in advance xD And this one is the biggest yet, because there was just so much to cover before I could move on with the story. </p>
<p>Warning: I edited chapter 4 to include the Mountain's death, which I forgot to mention.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They find nothing in Highgarden. It is completely empty, just like Olenna told them it would be.</p>
<p>Daenerys brought all her dragons to this trip, not just the one they are mounting on. "Whoever is on the throne now, I want them to see my dragons. My full power." It is slightly terrifying, so he decides to just nod along.</p>
<p>After failing to find a single person, alive or dead, in Highgarden, they trace the steps to King's Landing. For hours, there is nothing. Then, Daenerys sees a red castle. "We're nearing the capital", she announces. He perks from his position behind her to see it: the infamous Red Keep. "Viserys told me there is a dragonpit in one of the hills", she continues. "We'll circle the city—see if people were already turned to wights—and then land there. There is no way we won't draw attention."</p>
<p>"Let's just hope this attention won't get us killed", he mumbles. She doesn't seem to hear him as she flies around the city. He shifts in order to get a glimpse of whatever might be happening on the ground.</p>
<p>He can't hear screams, but it's easy to assume there are those, for people are running aimlessly, in a thoughtless reaction to the dragons. <em>Is that how she plans to conquer the city and the realm? By force and fear?</em> He hopes not. His father earned his men's respect, and so has he—to the point the North all but threw a crown at him after the battle against Ramsay. Daenerys seems to have earned her soldiers' respect as well, though he doesn't know enough of her story to check how loyal they truly are to her.</p>
<p>"People are running", she tells him, unaware he can see it, "but they look human. We should head to the dragon point."</p>
<p>"Aye", he replies, and feels her changing her course of flight. The sudden movement pulls him back to his original position, so he can't see anything now.</p>
<p>They quickly reach the dragonpit, but something makes Daenerys stop on her tracks. "It's crowded", she tells him. "We won't be able to land without harming people."</p>
<p>"Then find somewhere else", he tells her matter-of-factly. "Can't you see any other place?"</p>
<p>"I'm looking!", she exclaims, a bit irritated. "It needs to—wait. The guy over there, he's…" He sees her move her head to the right. "There are some ruins over there. Large enough for the dragons."</p>
<p>"It must be where the Sept of Baelor once was", he supplies. He's heard of the explosion not so long ago.</p>
<p>She doesn't answer; instead, she rides to the direction of the ruins.</p>
<hr/>
<p>At first, they are surrounded by common folk, who stare at the dragons in a mix of awe and horror. None of them approach Daenerys, though, and he hides himself between two of the beasts. Then, a strong male voice orders the people to disperse. It takes a moment, but he recognizes it as belonging to the Kingslayer. <em>Hopefully this means he's still alive. </em>Slowly, he leaves the protection of the dragons to see none other than Jaime Lannister on his horse, followed by another. As Ser Jaime dismounts, he catches sight of the other horse rider.</p>
<p>He inhales sharply. It's a woman, and her eyes can be seen even from a distance—cold, horrifying blue. For several moments, he can't see anything else but those eyes. <em>Identical to a wight's. Who is this woman, and why is she riding alongside the Kingslayer?</em></p>
<p>The knight's voice draws him back to reality. "I suppose you are Daenerys Targaryen", he tells his companion—not an ally, at least not yet.</p>
<p>At first, he wonders if she will miss the fact that she's face to face with the man who killed her father, but then he realizes Ser Jaime wears Lannister colors. "Yes", she replies coldly, and he knows she knows. "Daenerys Targaryen, First of My Name—"</p>
<p>"Yeah, I get it", Ser Jaime replies. "I'm Jaime Lannister, though I think you gathered that already. You may know me as Kingslayer, though lately I've been called by the same titles as you. Mostly—I'm not Stormborn, or Mother of Dragons, or Breaker of Chains. Just… King, I guess."</p>
<p>"How eloquent", the blue-eyed woman retorts, rolling her eyes as she dismounts and approaches him. "You managed to be worse than when you were crowned."</p>
<p>"I <em>cursed</em> when I was crowned", he spats, though not unkindly. "It can't be worse than that."</p>
<p>"Pardon me", Jon interferes, "but what do you mean, you are <em>king</em>? Where is your sister?"</p>
<p>Ser—King—Jaime's eyes turn suddenly sad. "Executed", he states, "for treason against her predecessor."</p>
<p>An awkward silence follows as Jon and Daenerys exchange glances. This is not what they were expecting upon coming here. Then, when it seems that Lannister won't say anything more, Jon clears his throat. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Jon Snow, King in the North. And who is this woman following you?"</p>
<p>Jaime blinks and turns to the woman—who, he realizes just now, wears a white cloak. "This is Ser Alysanne Hill", he announces. "My late uncle Kevan's bastard daughter. She's one of my white swords."</p>
<p>"A woman in the Kingsguard?", Daenerys asks, perplexed but somewhat amused.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't turn away someone as skilled as my cousin only because of her sex", he replies evenly. "Now, I'd like to know the intent of this visit. As impressive as your dragons are, Lady Daenerys, I was expecting a full army by the city's gates. Are they late? Are they waiting for the Reach forces to join them?"</p>
<p>Daenerys' eyes go wide at Jaime's statement that he knows where Olenna Tyrell's armies are. He takes advantage of her stunned silence to answer for her. "We are not here for the throne", he explains. "But for <em>her</em>." He then points at the woman knight.</p>
<p>Ser Alysanne's blinks, and then grins. "I see", she says. "Lady Olenna told you of my eyes, didn't she? You wanted to see if I was a wight, or a White Walker."</p>
<p>It's his eyes' turn to go wide. "You <em>know</em> about them? Who <em>are</em> you?"</p>
<p>It's the new king who answers. "I think", he replies, slowly, "that this conversation should be held at the Red Keep. Lady Daenerys, do you think your dragons can stay safely here?"</p>
<p>"You will call me <em>Your Grace</em>", she spats.</p>
<p>He raises an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you have yet to conquer the throne. I'm the one crowned by the septon, not you. However, I can call you 'Your Grace' if you extend the same courtesy to me." She fumes, and he takes it as an answer. "Figured as much. If any of you wants answers, follow us to the Red Keep."</p>
<p>At that, both king and knight mount back on their horses and ride away. He takes a step ahead. "May I go with you? I'm afraid the journey to the Red Keep will take a while by foot."</p>
<p>Daenerys turns to him. "Don't be ridiculous", she retorts. "We'll fly there, and Drogon will come back here to stay while we talk."</p>
<p>Jaime nods, and he and Ser Alysanne leave. He shrugs and follows Daenerys back to the dragon's back.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The Kingslayer takes them to a room with a big table in the center. Of course, Daenerys is not pleased. "Where is the throne room?", she demands.</p>
<p>Lannister and Ser Alysanne exchange glances, and the latter grins excitedly—it reminds him of Arya when they were young and innocent. King Jaime frowns. "Whatever you're planning—"</p>
<p>"I'm not planning anything", the knight retorts, grin in place. "I just think it would be… <em>fun</em> to show her the throne. See the changes we've made."</p>
<p>Daenerys' frustration melts into confusion. "Changes?"</p>
<p>Lannister sighs and runs his flesh hand—he's noticed his other one is golden—through his hair. "You know what, let's get this over with. Might even be easier to tell you all we have to say. Let's go."</p>
<p>He grows more confused as they walk to the throne room. This Alysanne is too casual around the Kingslayer for their relationship to be simply one between a king and his Kingsguard. They don't behave like lovers either. <em>Perhaps they are just happy to have found family in each other</em>, he contemplates. <em>He did introduce her as his bastard cousin. If she truly is who she claims to be, it's possible they are just glad they are not alone in this world. </em>Of course, this is only possible if the woman <em>is</em>, in fact, telling the truth about herself. Jon isn't quite sure about that yet, even if Ser Alysanne doesn't behave like a White Walker at all.</p>
<p>Eventually, they reach the throne room. At a distance, he can't make out what could possibly be changed, but, as they get closer, he notices something off. Suddenly, Daenerys gasps. "You <em>wrecked</em> the Iron Throne!"</p>
<p>The two of them turn around. The Kingslayer looks… sheepish? "Yes, there are swords missing", he explains. "I can't even sit on it anymore." He points at the seat area, from which pointy steel emerges. "Whenever I have to hold audiences, I sit on the steps. Not very kingly, but it's a lot more comfortable."</p>
<p>"But <em>why</em>?", the Dragon Queen asks, angry again.</p>
<p>The Kingslayer takes a deep breath and looks not at Daenerys, but at Jon. "We found swords and daggers made of Valyrian steel and obsidian. We've been taking those off ever since, which is why the throne is so… wrecked."</p>
<p>He blinks. Why is he concerning himself with extracting all weapons made of Valyrian steel and obsidian—</p>
<p><em>Dragonglass. Obsidian is another name for dragonglass. He </em>knows. <em>But</em>— "<em>How</em>?", he asks, only slightly louder than a whisper. "How do you know they are important?"</p>
<p>"I think", Ser Alysanne says, "you can at least guess how. Or <em>who</em>."</p>
<p>He narrows his eyes at her. "You?"</p>
<p>"Yes. I believe we can go back to the council room, right?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Ser Alysanne finishes her story—or part of it, since it's obvious she didn't disclose everything at once—Daenerys' face translates what he feels: <em>I did not wake up today for this.</em></p>
<p>"You are from the <em>future</em>", the Dragon Queen states dryly. "A future in which humanity <em>lost </em>to the undead."</p>
<p>"Yes", the woman replies, softer than she probably should. "I know it's hard to believe, and that you may want proof." She looks at him. "You have every reason to be suspicious. I've fought wights countless times, and I've seen myself in a mirror after I came here."</p>
<p>He shakes his head. "Why, then? If you are not a wight, or a White Walker, why do you bear these eyes?"</p>
<p>She doesn't reply verbally. Instead, she draws one of her swords—for whatever reason, she carries two on her back—and prickles her finger with the pointy end.</p>
<p>It doesn't bleed. Something else comes out instead. "What—"</p>
<p>"It's sap", she answers his unspoken question. "The Children of the Forest replaced my blood with it so they could use my blood for the ritual that brought me back in time. I think my eyes are a side effect of that—or maybe the Children decided to pull a prank. I don't really know."</p>
<p>Daenerys frowns. "I've seen blood magic", she says, more collected this time. "They usually get someone else's blood, not the one beloging to the person who will go through the ritual."</p>
<p>Ser Alysanne glances at King Jaime before turning back to the Dragon Queen. "It <em>was</em> supposed to be someone else's blood", she replies, sadly. "But that someone else died on our way to find the Children. I'm… I was the last human alive by the time I reached them. There was no one else to draw blood from."</p>
<p>Her voice nearly breaks at the end, and it's really hard not to believe her words. "You said the Night King was only a distraction", he tells her. "And that the actual leader of the White Walkers is the Night Queen. How did you find out?"</p>
<p>She sighs. "Bran", she replies simply.</p>
<p>"My brother?", he asks. "I thought he was dead."</p>
<p>"You haven't seen him yet?", she asks in return, surprised. He shakes his head. "Not Arya either, I assume." He shakes his head again, silently delighted to find he and Sansa are not the last Starks. "Oh… they must still be on their way to Winterfell then. I know they were there when Daenerys and Jaime arrived there—"</p>
<p>"I went to Winterfell with the <em>Kingslayer</em>?", Daenerys asks, in a mix of indignation and surprise.</p>
<p>Alysanne shakes her head. "No, no. King Jaime—he wasn't a king the first time around, but whatever—arrived a month after you did. Originally, you two came with other people to parley with Queen Cersei. Both twins pledged to fight for the living, but Cersei lied, so Jaime was unable to summon an army to go with him."</p>
<p>Both Jon and Daenerys turn at the Kingslayer. "You went to Winterfell all by yourself?", the Targaryen woman asks, surprised once again.</p>
<p>Jaime shrugs. "According to her, yes—though it didn't really surprise me when she said it, only that my sister didn't have me killed right away."</p>
<p>He sees Daenerys flinch at that, and so does he. He's heard all about the Lannister twins, how they engaged in incest and posed their children as Robert Baratheon's. What happened that made their relationship crumble to the point Jaime expected his own sister to <em>murder </em>him for leaving King's Landing?</p>
<p>Alysanne clears her throat. "Anyway", she begins, "back to Bran. He… he has some powers now." She then goes to explain all about the Three-Eyed Raven, his powers and its side effects. "He <em>should</em> have been able to see the Night Queen, but not only has she used her consort as a distraction for any greenseer that tried to investigate them, but the Night King gave Bran a mark that served both as a tracker and a blocker—he could be tracked by either of them, but could not see anything beyond the Night King.</p>
<p>"It was tough work, and we found about half of the stuff when it was too late to act on the knowledge we had, but eventually we gathered enough information about the Night Queen and her armies to enable me to come here and plan a strategy to take her out."</p>
<p>Jaime then speaks up. "We've begun to discuss battle plans as soon as I was crowned. My commanders are aware of the threat, but to make any viable strategy we need to assemble as many forces as possible. It's rather convenient that you came here so soon." He half smiles at them. "I know none of us are friends. You have no reason to trust me. But now we have a common enemy to fight against, and the dead are not divided. We must unite like them if we are to stand a chance."</p>
<p>"I agree", Jon says. "Defeat the Night King—and Queen—must be our priority." He still wants to find a way to confirm Ser Alysanne's claims, though he is inclined to believe her if he does find Arya and Bran when he goes back to Winterfell.</p>
<p>He glances at Daenerys. She sighs. "I'm not skeptical", she begins. "I cannot let myself <em>not </em>believe in magic when I have hatched three dragon eggs and seen so much proof that magic exists. Undead walking around and time travel are not so far-fetched." She glances at Jaime. "You killed my father, and for that we can never be friends, but I'm willing to make a truce for the time being."</p>
<p>Jaime nods, and his next words surprise him. "If you prove to the realm you are more of your mother's daughter than your father's, I'll bend the knee to you after this is all over." Daenerys gasps, as shocked as he is. "A long time ago, I swore to protect not only the king, but his family too. I killed Aerys—I won't apologize for that—and failed to protect your brothers, your good sister, your niece Rhaenys and your nephew Aegon—for <em>that</em>, I truly am sorry. I refuse to back another mad and cruel regent, but if I can fulfill one last vow I made to House Targaryen, I will."</p>
<p>As expected, Daenerys has nothing to say on that. Jaime takes it as an opening to change the subject. "I suggest we assemble battle commanders from all Westeros to sit down and discuss our strategies'', he says. "All generals from the westerlands and crownlands are here, and I've sent a letter to Sunspear. I do believe House Martell is inclined to answer to me now that they know that Doran and Trystanne's deaths were avenged. We still need to call generals from the Vale, the riverlands, the stormlands, the Reach, the North and the Ironborn. Do you think you can get those?"</p>
<p>Since Daenerys is still silent, Jon answers for both. "The Reach answers to Daenerys now. If she calls them, they will come. The North answers to me, obviously, and Sansa has influence on the riverlands and the Vale. I can't speak for the stormlands and Iron Islands, though."</p>
<p>Alysanne sighs. "The stormlands are a big question mark. Most were Stannis' allies, but many left after he burned his own daughter. I <em>think</em> you can draw them to your side, King Jon. You have Ser Davos Seaworth with you, along with Robert's last bastard and House Tarth's heir, right?" Jon nods. "Maybe we can't gather <em>all</em> of the stormlords, but it's better than nothing.</p>
<p>"As for the Ironborn… I know they were divided between Euron and Yara Greyjoy, but now that the former is dead... Thankfully, their forces are relatively small, and their strength is on the sea. We can set them aside as a back-up in case the Night Queen comes and freezes the ocean again."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, you said <em>freeze the ocean</em>?"</p>
<p>"I told you, she's powerful. Granted, she didn't do it until she crossed Winterfell, but still. She can do it." She caresses one of her swords briefly. "There are many details regarding her armies, but it's not worth sharing them all many times over. Are you two willing to believe me so far?"</p>
<p>Daenerys nods wordlessly. Jon also nods, adding, "I will give you more credit if my siblings indeed are in Winterfell when I get back, but I can tell that at least <em>you</em> believe your own words. Is there… is there anyone in particular you'd like to see at the war meeting? That you'd want us to bring here?"</p>
<p>She glances at Jaime then back at him before nodding. "Bran and Arya. Samwell Tarly and Davos Seaworth. Brienne of Tarth and the Hound—or Beric Dondarrion, any of the two men can do. If you manage to get Melisandre and Theon as well, I'd be grateful. Grey Worm. Whoever is in charge of the Dothraki army."</p>
<p>"That's actually me", Daenerys says, finally back to speaking.</p>
<p>"But do you still ride horses?"</p>
<p>The Dragon Queen bites her lip. "No", she admits. "I see your point."</p>
<p>"Great! Then everyone else is a bonus."</p>
<p>Jaime nods, then says, "Is it possible to hold the meeting in Dragonstone? I'd rather not have the dragons coming to King's Landing, what with…", he trails off and looks at Ser Alysanne.</p>
<p>Jon and Daenerys exchange glances, probably remembering the same thing—when Daenerys speaks up, he confirms it is. "Is this, in any way, related to the crowd at the dragonpit?"</p>
<p>Lannister sighs. "Yes. Well… you'll find out sooner or later, so why not. But—you won't like it. It has to do with your father."</p>
<p>Daenerys immediately tenses up. "I'm afraid I don't follow."</p>
<p>Jaime runs his hand through his hair. "You might know about the explosion of the Sept of Baelor." They nod. "Well, it was my sister who ordered it. She used wildfire… Only she didn't order them made. I mean, she <em>did</em>, but the pyromancers found out it wasn't necessary, for there was a huge amount of it already hidden under the sept. They didn't know about it because… years and years ago, I killed all those who did—including Aerys, the one who ordered them."</p>
<p>Daenerys inhales. "Are you saying that—"</p>
<p>"Your father was <em>obsessed</em> with the thing", he replies, not waiting for the end of her question. "The rebellion that resulted in Robert Baratheon's ascension to the throne began essentially because Aerys burned Ned Stark's father and older brother when Rhaegar disappeared with Lyanna Stark." For whatever reason, he glances at Jon before looking back at Daenerys. "Have you ever heard tales of your father's madness?"</p>
<p>She gulps. "Ser Barristan told me. I—it was hard to tell how true those were. Sometimes he spoke of him as if he was a good man, other times…"</p>
<p>Jaime tilts his head. "Ser Barristan served in the Kingsguard long enough to have seen your father before he went properly mad. Once upon a time, he and my father were even friends, though he cut off all ties when Aerys made me Kingsguard."</p>
<p>"You make it sound like he did it to imprison you."</p>
<p>"In a way, that's exactly what he did. I was only a glorified hostage, even if it took me some… time to realize that." He shakes his head. "If I talk all about my time under your father's service, we won't leave this room anytime soon. You can always ask later. Point is, when my father's armies began to sack the city, he ordered his pyromancers to ignite the caches all over the city. That's… that's why I killed him."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Daenerys asks for some time by herself, and Ser Alysanne guides her outside, leaving Jon and Jaime alone. "Do you trust this… bastard cousin of yours?", he asks carefully.</p>
<p>The king nods. "I can't explain <em>what</em> exactly made me believe her. It's not my story to tell. But—yes, I have plenty of reason to trust her. She knows things nobody shouldn't, not if they don't have the resources she claims to have had."</p>
<p>It makes sense, even though he wishes he knew exactly what he is talking about. He decides to change the subject. "The North won't bend the knee to a Lannister", he warns.</p>
<p>Jaime merely raises his eyebrows. "I'd be worried if they did", he replies. "And it's not <em>me</em> you have to convince, <em>Your Grace</em>. I'm only here because the other generals won't accept anyone else, and because I needed this power to convince them of the threat of the White Walkers. As much as I'd love to hand this damn throne to the first competent person available, I'm afraid this is not the right time for a power shift."</p>
<p>Jon agrees. "Like you said, we can postpone this kind of talk for after we defeat the undead. But pray tell, what do you have in mind so far?"</p>
<p>He sighs. "Like I told you two… There is wildfire all over King's Landing. What you saw in the dragonpit was some of my men digging through it to find the caches under the place. There are barrels of it under this castle, under unsuspecting houses and the city gates." He shifts in his seat. "I wanted to take them out of the city and to Winterfell, or the Wall, so we could use them against the wights, but I was informed that wildfire gets <em>more unstable</em> as years go by. It's been nearly two decades since those caches were made, so there is no telling whether they could be safely transported all the way through the North. They could explode under the midday sun for all we know."</p>
<p>"So they are useless", he says, though it sounds like a question.</p>
<p>Jaime shakes his head. "There <em>is </em>a way to use them. Bran… like Alysanne said, he has a tracker that guides the Night King and Queen both. If we bring him here, that's where they will head straight to. We'd evacuate the city, of course—preferably evacuate <em>all </em>cities, villages and castles on the way from the Wall to here—and, when the army of the dead goes through the city gates, we would take Bran out as we ignite the caches. A dragon would be ideal for both tasks."</p>
<p>Jon nods slowly, processing what he just heard. As much as dislikes the idea of using his half-brother as bait, if Bran truly has a tracker on his skin, this is a great idea. If he does convince Daenerys to lend a dragon for it, they can trap the majority—if not the entirety—of the Night King's army in a city surrounded by wildfire.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure people would willingly sacrifice the capital", he argues.</p>
<p>"The capital can be anywhere we want", the king replies easily. "Especially now, with so many extinguished noble houses and empty castles. King's Landing can be rebuilt anyway—it <em>was</em> rebuilt in Alysanne's world. As long as we evacuate it, I don't see a reason for attachment."</p>
<p>"I see your p—wait, <em>she</em> saw King's Landing destroyed?" It is one thing to suggest a new plan; it is another to suggest something that has already been tried before.</p>
<p>Jaime seems to understand what he's getting at. "Not in this way, no", he replies, and Jon feels himself deflating. "It was… by Daenerys' hand. She was fighting Cersei, and… well, if you want details, you should ask Alysanne herself. It's not a good story."</p>
<p>Oh. "Did Daenerys turn mad?"</p>
<p>"Sort of? Alysanne implied she had her reasons for her mind… to slip. Reasons that can—and should—be prevented this time around. She insists Daenerys is pivotal to defeat the Night Queen."</p>
<p>There truly seems to be a lot more for this woman to tell them. "Who else is… pivotal?"</p>
<p>"You", he answers without hesitation. "Me. Bran. Your… half-sisters." Why does he sound unsure? "Lady Brienne." Somehow he sounds <em>soft</em> when saying that name. "Davos Seaworth. That red priestess whose name I forgot—"</p>
<p>"Melisandre?"</p>
<p>"Yes. The Greyjoy siblings. Arianne Martell. Lady Olenna. Robin Arryn. Robert's bastard. And this is just the basics. We actually need as many people alive as possible. The dragons too."</p>
<p>"And who… did we fail to keep alive in her world?"</p>
<p>Jaime inclines his body over the table. "Daenerys and I perished on the same day", he states. "Lady Olenna is already outliving her other self. Arya died some years after I did, and then you were among the first casualties of the war against the Night Queen. Afterwards, the rest fell one by one, until there was only Alysanne left."</p>
<p>He gulps. He doesn't want to imagine being alone in the world, with absolutely <em>nobody</em>, not even a stranger, to turn to. No wonder Ser Alysanne is so determined to prove herself trustworthy, and no wonder she was willing to be subjected to a blood ritual—to trade her blood for <em>tree sap</em> and get wight-like eyes—in order to go back in time and fix things. <em>What would I have done in her place? Would I have kept fighting, or would I have given up?</em></p>
<p>He can't answer that now, not without the whole picture of what happened, but it doesn't really matter what he would have done. What matters is: there is someone who knows what went wrong and is eager to make things right. He still wants to verify her claims, of course, but the possibility of this all being an extremely elaborate farce gets smaller and smaller.</p>
<hr/>
<p>He finds Daenerys in the throne room, sitting on the stairs that lead to the Iron Throne. Her stare is vacant, and he's never seen her look so fragile as she does right now. For the first time, she looks undeniably <em>human</em>. That's what ultimately drives him to go to her and sit on the step right below her.</p>
<p>She's the first to speak. "The Kingslayer is right", she whispers. "It doesn't look very kingly to sit here. Or queenly." He can't help but chuckle, and she lets out a soft snort. Then, she continues, "I'm not sure what to think of… all of this."</p>
<p>"It was a lot to digest", he agrees.</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "The woman knight told me even more when she led me out of the room. I—she told me I burned this city, the first time around." Her voice shakes, and he doesn't dare interrupt her. "She told me I lost myself grieving all the loved ones I lost in the weeks prior to the confrontation with Cersei, and a series of… revelations that made me distrust my allies. She sounded <em>sorry</em> for me, even though <em>I</em> was the one who brought sorrow to thousands of people." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "I don't want to be Queen of Ashes. I never did, not even when I felt using my dragons was the only way to stop the evil lords in Slaver's Bay."</p>
<p>He thinks he doesn't want to know details. "You don't have to be", he tells her instead. "Cersei Lannister is dead now, and her brother is willing to give the throne to you if you prove to him that you won't turn mad like your father."</p>
<p>"Can I do it?", she asks, and though he's not sure if the question is really directed at him, he answers all the same.</p>
<p>"Of course. Nothing is set on stone; if that was the case, Ser Alysanne wouldn't have gone back in time to prevent the doom of humanity."</p>
<p>She finally looks at him, and fixes her stare for some time. When he starts to feel uncomfortable under her gaze, she blinks and looks down. "I suppose I should start by not demanding everyone to bend the knee to me."</p>
<p>He nods. "Look, I'm not saying you are not worth following", he explains, "but I don't know you enough to say you <em>are</em>, either. You seem to have earned your army's respect, which is a good sign, and Lady Olenna willingly pledged herself and the entire Reach to you. That's no small feat. But you are still a foreigner in the eyes of the realm, and most of Westeros is still wary of Targaryens. They are wary of Lannisters too, but—well, you've heard it. Ser Jaime has the West and Dorne at his disposal, at least. Two armies you won't have anytime soon, if I got things right."</p>
<p>She shakes her head, but he knows it's in agreement. "I allied myself with Ellaria Sand", she reminds him. "House Martell might have pledged to me once, in honor of Elia and her children, but not anymore. Not after I sided with the women who murdered their family. If for nothing else, they will side with Jaime Lannister just to spite me." She sighs, and changes the subject. "Did you know about the wildfire?"</p>
<p>"No", he replies. "I don't think anyone does."</p>
<p>"But why would he keep that a secret?"</p>
<p>"I wish I knew. Maybe he thought it would be safer if no one knew about them—I mean, look at what his own sister did. Or maybe he thought nobody would believe him. Or it's another reason entirely. But I don't think he lied about it. He didn't seem to have told us that to earn our trust."</p>
<p>She nods. "No, I don't think he did. I asked a question, and he answered." She closes her eyes briefly, then opens them again. "Do you believe Ser Alysanne?"</p>
<p>"I'm inclined to", he says. "If anything, I doubt she's a White Walker. As far as I know, they don't bleed at all, not even tree sap. And she looks way too human to pass up as one of them. I will trust her words more when I go back to Winterfell and see my siblings there."</p>
<p>Daenerys tilts her head. "There is a quicker way to prove her right or wrong", she tells him. "She told me to let you try Rhaegal. Said you rode him in her timeline. If you do here…"</p>
<p>"I'm not sure I want to try out a dragon in a city surrounded by wildfire."</p>
<p>"Then try in Dragonstone. A second dragon rider will make things a lot easier, to be honest." She stands up. "Well, <em>I</em> am inclined to believe her. She's told me things she had no way of knowing if she wasn't exactly who she claims to be, not to mention all the knowledge she showed to have on the White Walkers."</p>
<p>He stands up as well. "So what do you want to do?"</p>
<p>She looks at him, but her gaze is not as intense as before. "I'll tell Lannister we can hold the meeting in Dragonstone", she states. "I'll find Yara Greyjoy and bring her to me. I'll ask Olenna to gather her battle commanders while gathering my own. I suppose you and your sister will gather yours. We will discuss battle strategies, and we'll fight the undead as one unit. Then, and only then, I will concern myself with the Iron Throne." She turns to said throne. "Or whatever is left of it at the end of this."</p>
<p>He glances at the chair, which is as wrecked as it was when they arrived. "I'm sure it can be fixed", he supplies, but then he remembers Jaime's plan—if it works, there won't even be a throne to fix. He decides not to tell her <em>that</em>, though.</p>
<p>He follows her back to the council room, where King Jaime and Ser Alysanne are chatting with grins on their faces. There is a queer familiarity in their gazes, which raises many questions in his mind, but none that sound really urgent. When they catch sight of him and Daenerys, they straighten up, but their grins don't really fade. "Have you made a decision?", Jaime asks them.</p>
<p>Daenerys speaks first. "We can have the meeting in Dragonstone. I'll need at least a fortnight to prepare things there, though."</p>
<p>She glances at Jon, who nods. "I'll need a month or two to organize things in Winterfell."</p>
<p>"Alright", the Kingslayer replies. "I can't go to Dragonstone without talking to the Martells first anyway. I suppose we all have an agreement—a truce?"</p>
<p>Jon and Daenerys confirm it. "I can't speak for everyone else", Jon admits, "but I'll do my best to assure them we are all allies." He inhales. "I'd like to thank you in advance, King Jaime." The man blinks, startled. "No matter how this war meeting goes, I'm glad that you are so willing to help us against a threat you have yet to see."</p>
<p>"It's not me you have to thank", he reminds him.</p>
<p>"Not <em>only</em> you", he insists. "I <em>am</em> grateful for Ser Alysanne's help, but you could have easily discredited her, or used your privileged knowledge to bribe us to side with you, but you only seek to help. For that, I thank you."</p>
<p>Alysanne seems to beam at his words. Jaime's grin melts into a polite smile. "Don't thank me yet, King Jon. Let us all wait for the undead to be defeated to thank each other." He stands up. "Would you like a ride to the dragons?"</p>
<p>"Yes, please", Daenerys replies for him, her tone so pleading they all chuckle.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Jaime VI</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alysanne tries to explain time travel to Jaime, and they have some father-daughter time before going to Dragonstone.<br/>(Featuring Arianne Martell.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I never asked", he tells his daughter while they take off another dragonglass sword from the Iron Throne, "how you killed all those three men without drawing attention."</p><p>He is, obviously, most curious about how she won against the Mountain. She probably knows it. "Qyburn was stupidly easy to kill", she begins. "He spent a lot of time alone in his quarters, and had no physical strength to fight me. I plunged Dark Sister in his chest and left him there to rot." A pause. "I caught Euron on his way to a brothel. Stabbed him on the back." Another pause, where she smirks. "As for the Mountain… Bran showed me the fight between him and Oberyn Martell. I knew all the weak points in his armor. In the end, it wasn't really hard. It was dark. He was caught by surprise, and I pierced his throat before he could raise his sword."</p><p>"I'm surprised he didn't hear you", he replies, frowning. "He always seemed to hear everything."</p><p>She finally pulls the sword off the throne, almost tripping in the process. "When we fled to Essos", she explains, more quietly this time, "we first went to Braavos, and we met the Faceless Men there. They didn't <em>train</em> us per se, but they taught some tricks, like water dancing. It's—even big people like us can learn to move silently. Mother did, and nobody was more surprised than her."</p><p>That earns a small laugh from him. Brienne is massive—bigger than him—so it <em>is</em> hard to imagine her not making a sound as she moves, but he is not surprised that she learned it. She can do anything she puts her mind to, he thinks, especially when it comes to fighting.</p><p>He inspects the throne one more time. There are no other useful swords to take from it, so he declares their work finished. "We deserve supper", Alys tells him in response.</p><p>"That we do", he agrees. "There is something else I'd like us to talk about over dinner. Nothing big, just to satisfy my curiosity."</p><p>She smiles and nods.</p><hr/><p>An hour later, while they are served their food, he asks, "You mentioned, in that book, that there were other possibilities. Other moments you could have gone back to. Do you know them?"</p><p>She nods. "Bran wasn't all that good at seeing the future in his own timeline, let alone in an alternate one, but he managed to figure out the possible days I could be sent to, so we planned accordingly. He found… six scenarios."</p><p>"Tell me about them", he asks gently. "The other ones." He knows, because she's already told him, that in <em>this</em> timeline, she arrived on the day of Cersei's coronation. <em>Tyrion was the one to come up with the idea of saving Olenna</em>, she'd told him, <em>and catch you in Highgarden. Bronn wanted me to kill Aunt Cersei right after her coronation, but Uncle said earning your trust was more important than getting rid of her.</em></p><p>"The most troublesome possibility was the one in which I arrived in Winterfell on the same day as you", she begins. "Not because I had to worry about you—I knew Mother would successfully vouch for you—but because there was so little time to earn people's trust and warn them about the Night Queen." She grabs his plate, served with meat, and starts cutting it for him—she's been doing this since they started having meals together, much to his awe and delight. "I was also afraid of not being able to convince Daenerys to hold her forces in Winterfell after the battle against the Night King."</p><p>She shrugs. "All other scenarios had me arriving earlier. In one I arrived on the day you saw Mother last."</p><p>He squeezes his eyes shut. "Riverrun", he supplies, remembering more details of their conversation than he expected—<em>It's yours; it will always be yours</em>. His heart pounds loudly as he recalls how strongly he had wanted to close the distance between them and kiss her at the tent. How he wanted, later, to jump on the river and swim to her boat.</p><p>If Alysanne notices his inner turmoil, she doesn't show. "Yes", she replies. "We tried to think of a way to make myself known without potentially giving either of you a heart attack, but… it was the first time we all agreed with Bronn on anything."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"That the best way was to simply bust in the tent and interrupt you. He also claimed he'd guess my parentage within seconds of meeting me, but Pod told him off."</p><p>At that, he laughs. Bronn, in this world, has yet to realize Alysanne is Jaime's daughter, even though he's aware she's from the future—he has told his men about that, but not that she isn't Kevan's bastard. Nobody has realized yet that his uncle could not have sired her. It is a source of amusement for both of them.</p><p>When his laugh dies out, she gives him back his plate and continues. "Another possibility had me arriving on the day of my brother's wedding." He frowns in questioning. "Joffrey."</p><p>Oh. "What were you going to do there?"</p><p>She begins to cut her own meat. "It depended on how far the wedding had gone by the time I got inside. Plan A was to avoid Joffrey's death altogether; it brought too many people down on the short and long run. Plan B was to find a way to place blame on someone other than Tyrion; someone that could get away with it or could run away more easily. Plan C was to convince Uncle to not demand trial by combat. Plan D was to volunteer in Oberyn's place. Plan E was to kill Cersei as soon as Tywin died."</p><p>He snorts. "And what was plan F?"</p><p>She smirks. "It was 'Fuck this, I'm outta here!'" They laugh. "No, there was no plan F. Plan E was supposed to be guaranteed, since the Mountain wouldn't be revived yet."</p><p>They eat silently for a while. Then, she adds, "Bran also saw me in Robb Stark's camp on the day you and Mother met."</p><p>He raises his head abruptly at that. "I doubt I'd recognize you as my daughter with Brienne at that point. I barely saw her."</p><p>"I know. We believed Catelyn would. She'd seen both of you enough at that point to recognize your features in me." She takes a bite of meat. "Bran found it funny, and Mother prayed it wouldn't be the day I'd be sent to."</p><p>"With good reason", he retorts. "What in the world were you supposed to do?"</p><p>She takes a sip of water. "It was simple, even if hard", she says. "The plan was to reveal Grandfather's scheme to have Robb killed at the Twins, and thus convince Lady Stark to keep you hostage for longer—until the wedding at least, for Tywin wouldn't risk having you die." She grins. "I'd have Mother guard you, of course."</p><p>He raises an eyebrow. "And you think you could get us together just by that?"</p><p>"Why not? At worst, I'd just push you two to kiss and find out you are meant to be."</p><p>He can't help a guffaw. "The peak of romance", he says after he stops laughing. "Who taught you that, Bronn?"</p><p>"Maybe", she supplies, giggling. Then, "The final outcome Bran saw was the furthest I could go back in time." Her grin falls. "The sack of King's Landing."</p><p>He takes a sharp breath. "The day I became the Kingslayer", he whispers.</p><p>She nods. "He couldn't see if I'd arrive before or after you killed Aerys, but he saw me in the Red Keep. Of course, our plans for that timeline were very different. Plan A was to save Rhaenys and Aegon, raising the latter to the throne. If it was too late for that, plan B was to find a way to send you far away from Cersei."</p><p>He frowns. "If I was dismissed from the Kingsguard, Father would marry me off to someone who is not Brienne. She was an infant at the time, I think."</p><p>"Three years old", she confirms. "Uncle suggested to have you sent to the Night's Watch. Sam suggested to have you exiled. Mother suggested to sneak you out of the city and help you disguise yourself as an anonymous hedge knight. Bronn said to let you marry 'whatever plump lady' Grandfather would find and hope she'd die in childbirth."</p><p>"Fuck Bronn", he curses.</p><p>She nods. "Bran briefly wondered if we could find a way for Lyanna to survive. He thinks you two would have made a good couple."</p><p>He shrugs at that. He never met Lyanna Stark properly; only saw her from a distance. His curiosity lies on something else. "Do you know why you ended up <em>here</em> and <em>now</em>?"</p><p>It's her turn to shrug. "The Children warned me they could only do so much with one person's blood", she explains. "Had I managed to bring more people, they could get enough blood to send me back further—I could work to avoid the tragedy in Summerhall, for example, and find a way to prevent Aerys from taking the crown. With what they had, they only prayed I'd be sent to the best time possible."</p><p>She sighs, and he has a feeling she's not telling the whole story, but he decides to let the subject go. "Are you going to stay here permanently?", he asks instead.</p><p>"No", she says, although she hesitates. "According to the Children, my body would fade away to butterflies when it was guaranteed that the future was saved. I'd go back to my own time then, but with all the changes I made. I don't know what I'll remember. I can only hope I <em>will</em> still exist."</p><p>He reaches for her hand. "I'll do everything in my power to guarantee you will", he promises.</p><p>She beams. "What do you plan to do when you meet Mother?"</p><p>He swallows. "Court her", he replies. "I'm not very good at it—I never had to, with your aunt—but I'll try my best to make my feelings known. If it was for me, I'd propose to her right away, but… I don't want to scare her." A pause. "Can she know the truth about you?"</p><p>She tilts her head and bites her lip. "Mother said her past self would probably think it a jape, if she was <em>told</em> about my parentage. If she manages to <em>guess</em>, though…" She takes another sip of water. "I'm sure people will connect the dots sooner or later, especially if they figure out that I'm your daughter. Who else can be my mother but her?"</p><p>He smiles. "I plan to be <em>very obvious</em> about my interest in her, so no one can question it." Bronn has been sure of it since King's Landing. He bets Podrick figured out too. Once—back when he was half in denial, half in contemplation—he feared Cersei suspected something, but this is no longer a concern. His smile then falls. "I'll do all I can to assure your future self will live in a better world", he vows. "I'll make sure you won't ever have to be alone and desperate again."</p><p>She reaches for his flesh hand and squeezes it. "Help me defeat the Night Queen", she tells him. "I promise you, whatever future awaits us afterwards will be a better one."</p><hr/><p>Arianne Martell herself arrives in King's Landing a fortnight later. After a long talk, she is convinced of the truth about the White Walkers, but she's still hesitant to ally herself with Daenerys. "I'm only pledging myself to you because your sister avenged my family", she tells him, "and because, to be entirely honest, my father always said you killing Aerys was a blessing."</p><p>He grins at that; it's rare to have someone say something positive regarding his kingslaying without knowing the truth behind it. "I'm glad you did", he replies sincerely. "I wouldn't deny you independence, but the realm needs to stay as united as possible. That's why I'm willing to set differences aside with Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow."</p><p>She frowns. "And afterwards?"</p><p>He sighs. "May we all be blessed with an afterwards", he tells her. "That's not a concern for now. For now, we must worry about living."</p><p>She offers her hand. "Fair enough", she says as he shakes it. "Dorne will back the Crown."</p><hr/><p>On the last night before they depart to Dragonstone, he goes to Alysanne's chambers. "Won't people think we're fucking?", she casually points out as she closes the door.</p><p>"I don't think anyone <em>saw</em> me", he replies. "Also, <em>ew</em>. I may have fucked my twin sister, but there are limits."</p><p>She laughs. "Should I tell you the story of a wildling who beds his own daughters?"</p><p>"I don't think I want to know."</p><p>"Tarly's wife was one of them."</p><p>"Okay, you've told me more than enough already."</p><p>She laughs again. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>He runs his hand through his hair, slightly nervous. He's never done this before. "Did—did anyone hug you or kiss you goodnight, when you were a child?"</p><p>She visibly softens at that. "Mother", she answers gently. "She tucked me in bed and told me stories. About—you, mostly, even before I knew you were my father."</p><p>His heart melts at these words. "Do you—do you want to hear stories about <em>her</em>?"</p><p>"From your perspective? Yes!"</p><p>As if she was once again a child, she lays down and covers herself. Chuckling, he sits on the ground beside her. "Your mother has always been a force to be reckoned with", he begins. "Even when I found her ugly, she was a sight to behold, a storm—fitting, since she's a stormlander."</p><p>He proceeds to tell her about the loss of his hand, and how she cared for him. <em>I was her enemy, and she still made sure I'd not die</em>. He talks about the bath in Harrenhal and—</p><p>"You don't need to tell me <em>all</em> the details, you know", she interrupts him, mockingly grimacing.</p><p>"I don't see why not", he replies jokingly. "You could have been conceived there, if I was brave enough."</p><p>"Oh, <em>please</em>, Mother would have gutted you if you tried."</p><p>He chuckles. "She would", he agrees, and tells her about their time in King's Landing.</p><p>She laughs. "Coming from you, it sounds like flirting", she comments.</p><p>He groans. "How messed up I was", he complains, "that my idea of flirting was pointing out she could be a Lannister."</p><p>"You should have asked if she wanted to be one anyway", she suggests, "through you."</p><p>"I'd have to be dismissed earlier from the Kingsguard", he reminds her, then tells her about the day he gave Brienne her sword, armor, horse and squire.</p><p>She smiles at that. "All that was missed was a proposal."</p><p>He snorts. "I should have followed her", he says wistfully.</p><p>He talks about Riverrun, and she lets out an 'awn' at the story. "She loved to recall that day", she tells him. "Despite all the tension, she said it was sweet."</p><p>"It was", he agrees. "Pity none of us realized the meaning behind my words at the time." He huffs. "How could I be so oblivious?"</p><p>"Denial is a powerful thing", she offers. "Mother said you once boasted about having been loyal to Aunt Cersei your whole life. It can't have been easy to realize things changed in your heart."</p><p>"To be entirely honest", he admits, "<em>you</em> helped me realize that." She frowns. "Our first conversation in Highgarden, when you said Brienne was made Kingsguard. I couldn't help but wonder if she'd have married me, had I lived, and I realized how badly I wanted to—marry her, I mean." He takes a deep breath. "It—everything made sense then. Why I couldn't bring myself to follow Cersei as blindly as I used to. Why my heart never seemed to be in it whenever I was with her, and why I thought of Brienne in the most unrelated moments. It was like a curtain had been lifted from my eyes—no wonder I quickly realized who you truly were then."</p><p>She smiles widely, and once again he imagines she took her smile after her mother's. "I never asked her when she fell in love with you", she says, "but I think she already is, at this time. You may not have too much trouble courting her."</p><p>"I hope you're right." He begins to stand up, but stops when he is on one knee. "May I—would it be too odd if I kissed your forehead?"</p><p>Her eyes seem warm for the first time ever. "Maybe, but I don't mind."</p><p>He smiles and goes to place a light kiss on her forehead. Flashes of an infant Myrcella pop in his mind, but it goes away as quickly as it came. "Good night, Alys."</p><p>"Good night, Father."</p><p>He prays to whatever gods are out there that he will be able to listen to that countless times in the future.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Brienne I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Brienne reunites with Jaime and meets Alysanne, who reveals more about the White Walkers. The war against the undead begins to take shape.<br/>(Featuring the author shamelessly stealing a plot device from 'Harry Potter'.)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For the intents and purposes of this story, Samwell Tarly comes back earlier from the Citadel. (As a consequence, Jorah Mormont also returns to Daenerys earlier, although I couldn't find a way for Brienne, who never met the man, to acknowledge his presence. Just imagine him near Dany.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When King Jon tells them about his meetings with Daenerys Targaryen and Jaime—who, apparently, is now <em>King of Westeros</em>—everyone is, naturally, shocked. "How sure are you that this Lannister bastard can be trusted?", Lady Sansa asks, and many people back up this question.</p><p>His Grace places his hands on his breeches' pockets. "She knew about Arya and Bran, even though there was no way of knowing they'd come back", he states. "She knew about Stannis' death, despite news of it having not left Winterfell before my departure. And she knew too much about the Army of the Dead for someone who never faced them. Her story is so elaborate, I doubt it's a farce. At worst, she believes her own words, and… well, you can't fabricate eye color or tree sap bleeding, and I <em>saw </em>what emerged from her injured finger."</p><p>Madman's tales, these of the king's, but what else can they be but the truth? Everyone in Winterfell is well aware of the threat of the Night King, and how desperately they need allies. However, she thinks her liege lady is right to be suspicious. To have Jaime's word and forces, not to mention Daenerys'—it sounds too good to be true.</p><p>Sansa turns to Bran—who has announced his new identity days after his arrival. "Your mark", she tells him. "Is it possible that it works as a tracker <em>and</em> a blocker?"</p><p>He stares at his sister for a long time, and then, "Yes", he replies, with only the slightest display of emotion. "Of course, I can't exactly <em>attest</em> it all by myself, but… it's not impossible that the Night King would do something to make sure I wouldn't see past the trap they are setting against us." A short silence. "I've watched the South for some days. This Alysanne does seem to speak the truth. I've already seen she has yet to tell you everything, though."</p><p>"I'm aware", Jon says in response. "Ser—<em>King</em> Jaime told me he couldn't disclose all of what she said to make him believe her. I assumed it was personal stuff. I don't think she will withdraw any information that is truly vital to the war."</p><p>Lady Sansa speaks up again. "And they want us to hold a meeting in Dragonstone", she repeats when he said previously.</p><p>King Jon nods. "They are turning the city upside down searching for old wildfire caches", he explains, "so the… king is afraid of holding a big council there." <em>Has Jaime told him about Aerys?</em> She is tempted to ask, but stays silent. If Jon doesn't say anything on the matter now, she can ask later if she's feeling daring enough. "They asked for a few specific people to be there, if possible."</p><p>Her liege lady frowns again. "Who?"</p><p>"Our siblings", he replies immediately, glancing at Arya and Bran. "Your sworn sword." At that, he looks at Brienne. "Melisandre, though Ser Davos said to have spotted her in Dragonstone already—Ser Davos is on their list too, by the way." He scratches his head. "Sam, Theon… oh! Either the Hound or Beric Dondarrion. I'm not sure why it's either of them, but—I think we can send both. And battle commanders from the North, the riverlands and the Vale."</p><p>Sansa nods. "That is easily arranged." She then turns to Brienne. "Lady Brienne, are you willing to go to this meeting with my siblings?"</p><p>"If this is your wish, my lady", she replies, nodding.</p><p>With a smile that reminds her of her mother, she confirms it is.</p><hr/><p>It takes nearly a whole month, but they eventually arrive in Dragonstone. As they get closer, Brienne feels herself growing more and more anxious, and she can't pretend to not know the reason: Jaime.</p><p>King Jon said he rose to throne after his sister was executed for treason against the king that preceded her—Tommen, her own son. But how can this be? Brienne remembers with clarity the wedding that ended in Joffrey's death. She couldn't see all that clearly from where she stood, but Cersei's despair was evident. How could the same woman plot against her other son? What did she do?</p><p>She knows about the explosion of the Sept of Baelor, but details are lost to her. Had Cersei been behind it? It sounds absurd—she can't see what she could have gained from it—but what else would she be executed for? <em>I'll find a way to ask Jaime about it</em>, she decides. She might be too shy to approach anyone else, but not him—even if it means enduring the crazy jumps her heart makes whenever near him.</p><p>She knows she's been in love with Jaime ever since he gave her a Valyrian steel sword, fitting armor, a beautiful horse, and Podrick, all to fulfill an oath he swore under duress and that went directly against his family's wishes. Sometimes she thinks she began to fall for him when he rescued her from the bear in Harrenhal. <em>Nobody</em> has ever done for her what he did. Jaime respects her in a way not even her father and her master-at-arms did. Not even Renly, who saw it fit to grant her a place in his Rainbow Guard, recognized her worth as Jaime does.</p><p>(<em>It's yours; it will always be yours</em>. Does he know she could say the same to him, but of her heart?)</p><p>Of course, her feelings are fated to be once again unrequited. Jaime has loved his sister for his entire life. (<em>I don't blame you, and I don't blame him either. We don't get to choose who we love.</em>) Theirs is a passionate, all-consuming love. She can never give him that, for it isn't her nature, and how can she ever compare to Cersei Lannister—beautiful, graceful, powerful, intense?</p><p>And Jaime is a man who loves deeply. She's seen that multiple times in their time together. Not even death can drive him apart from his sister. Brienne can only hope that, now that he's free from her direct influence, he can be the man he was always meant to be—the man she fell in love with.</p><p><em>If he is willing to compromise with Daenerys Targaryen and the Starks, of all people, he's already pulling himself free of his sister's strings.</em> She's glad they are no longer on opposing sides of a tiresome war. She can never have him the way she wants to, but now she can at least fight side by side with him. How can she ask for more?</p><p>However, she can't help but worry for him. According to King Jon, his most trusted guard is his bastard cousin, Alysanne Hill, natural daughter of his late uncle Kevan, who came from the <em>future</em>. Is she truly the person she claims to be? Is Jaime safe with her at his side? Jon told them he and Daenerys fled to King's Landing upon hearing Lady Olenna's description of the woman who saved the Reach armies from being slaughtered by the Crown's, fearing she was a White Walker who planned to take the throne for herself. Instead, they found <em>Jaime</em> on said throne, with Alysanne as his white sword.</p><p><em>Could it be that she pinned the twins against each other?</em> She can't help but wonder. It wouldn't be the first time in recent history that House Lannister reveals itself to be divided. Of course, it all depends on <em>what</em> exactly Cersei did, not only in the present but in the future Alysanne came from—perhaps the Lion Queen did something that, directly or indirectly, doomed Westeros to destruction, and her cousin saw fit to see her removed before it could happen again.</p><p>She can only hope Jaime can recover from this loss. Jon didn't give any clue on his state of mind on their encounter, only that he and Alysanne seemed close—not in any inappropriate way, he insisted, but it spoke of familiarity.</p><p>Bran's voice from the other side of the cabin snaps her from her reverie. "I believe Ser Alysanne is trustworthy", he says casually. "I don't think we have anything to fear from her."</p><p>He's talking directly to her, so she feels compelled to reply. "You believe she's an ally."</p><p>"Yes." He grins. "You should talk to her. It seems that she will have much to tell you."</p><p>She opens her mouth to ask what, but then Bran turns his gaze away from her, and she knows he won't say anything more on the subject. However, she still hears him whisper, presumably to himself, "She has much to tell me too, I think."</p><hr/><p>They meet a woman dressed in red when they arrive on shore. King Jon calls her Melisandre, meaning she's the red priestess Jaime asked for. "Why are you not there yet?", he asks her with suspicion.</p><p>"I was on my way to Volantis", she explains, "when I saw in the flames that I was needed here once again. I've just arrived."</p><p>Brienne thinks it's a fair explanation, and so does Jon apparently. They all march together to Dragonstone, being greeted by an Unsullied who guides them to the throne room. At Jon's request, she and Ser Davos go ahead. They arrive at the main hall to find Daenerys sitting on the massive throne—more opulent than the one in King's Landing, in her humble opinion—but, as the dark-skinned woman introduces her many titles, her eyes search for Jaime.</p><p>And there he is, standing on a wall, far from the main scene. His eyes seemingly find hers at the same time, and he breaks into a shining smile that makes her knees weak. Then she darts to the woman standing beside him, who also fixes her gaze on Brienne—but with an amused expression that doesn't sit right with her.</p><p>Her eyes are just like Jon described: cold, unsettling, unnatural. It's hard to tear her gaze away from them, but she forces herself to inspect the rest of her. Her blonde curls scream Lannister—in fact, were for them alone, she'd say the Lannister twins are actually <em>triplets</em>, and she's the missing one. Her face is shaped like Jaime's, and her body like Cersei's. Only her broad shoulders and her odd nose are any indicators that a non-Lannister took part in her conception.</p><p>She's snapped out of her analysis when Ser Davos humbly introduces Jon as King in the North. Jaime steps ahead and introduces himself. "Jaime Lannister, First of My Name, King of—whatever's left of Westeros, I don't know anymore." It earns a chuckle from a few people present, Brienne included. Leave it to Jaime to fumble over his kingly introduction.</p><p>After everyone is properly introduced, Daenerys gestures at the chairs placed around the hall and invites them to sit down. Suddenly Jaime appears next to her, taking the nearest seat he finds. His white sword follows him closely behind. "Lady Brienne", he greets her in a whisper, smiling softly.</p><p>She can't help but smile in return, but her reply is polite. "Your Grace."</p><p>His smile is replaced with a frown. "Jaime, just Jaime", he says, pleadingly. "I hear 'Your Grace' more than enough times a day."</p><p>At his side, Alysanne Hill rolls her eyes. "You've been king for less than two months", she reminds him. "You can't be already tired of hearing your title."</p><p>"I've been tired of hearing my bloody title from day one", he retorts. "Must I remind you that I <em>cursed</em> when the septon crowned me?"</p><p>Alysanne seems to be biting off a laugh, and Jaime turns back to Brienne. "I was hoping we could talk later", he whispers softly.</p><p>"Of course", she replies, doing her best to ignore her heart tripping at his invitation—and failing as he beams at her.</p><p>Their exchange is interrupted by Melisandre, who stands over Alysanne and looks at her up and down. "You are not from this world", she guesses.</p><p>The bastard blinks, startled—and so does Jaime. "That was fast", she says, seemingly to herself. "I should have just come to you instead."</p><p>"I doubt the word of a red priestess would spare you any of the lengthy speeches you've had to make to everyone who meets you", Jaime replies instantly.</p><p>Without another word, Melisandre moves to take a seat between Bran and Samwell. She glances to her left to see Ser Davos sitting on her side. Looking ahead, she notices she's sitting across Tyrion Lannister, who is eyeing his brother with amusement. <em>Jaime surely arrived here days ago</em>, she thinks. <em>The two brothers must have already spoken to each other.</em></p><p>From her seat on the throne, Daenerys begins to talk. "You all know why we are gathered here today, any and all enmities set aside in the name of the greater good. There is a great enemy marching against us, and union and peace are demanded from us if we want to win. This very meeting already requires that we set our differences aside, and that we ignore any political disputes, at least for now." She takes a deep breath. "That being said, I think it is best that we are all covered on the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. For that, I'd like to call forward: Jon Snow, King in the North, Ser Alysanne Hill of Jaime Lannister's Kingsguard and Bran Stark, the Three-Eyed Raven."</p><p>Jon stands up and walks to his brother to push him forward, at the same time Alysanne stands from her seat and walks to the centre of the room.</p><p>Bran is the first to speak up. "Our most immediate danger is the Night King", he declares in the emotionless voice she's grown used to. At her side, Jaime tenses up, certainly remembering what he did to the boy years ago. "He has an army composed of a hundred thousand wights, who march slowly but restlessly to the Wall. He is the enemy I've met in my time training to become the Three-Eyed Raven, and he is the one who marked me. I am his primary target."</p><p>"Why?", Princess Arianne Martell asks. "I get that you are a powerful greenseer, but what makes you the Night King's nemesis?"</p><p>"I hold the memories of the whole of humanity", he explains. "That's my true power. Without our past, we cannot move forward, so eliminating me makes the Night King's path easy to conquer humanity." He then turns to Alysanne. "But I believe our companion from the future can tell you more about the threats that lie ahead."</p><p>Alysanne closes her eyes and inhales deeply. "A long time ago, the first attack led by the White Walkers provoked the First Long Night", she begins. "For a generation, the sun did not rise. Its end is surrounded by legends and tales, but it is known that the White Walkers are what drove people to build the Wall—to drive them away. Centuries went by without any of them showing up, and we forgot the true purpose of the Wall and the Night's Watch.</p><p>"In my world, King Jon had a harder time making people believe in his world, so he marched beyond the Wall to capture a wight, to give visual proof. The effort led to the loss of one of Queen Daenerys' dragons, which was turned wight and used to tear down part of the Wall. We've avoided this loss so far, but make no mistake: we are only postponing the crumble of the Wall.</p><p>"As most of you must know by now, the Night King is not the true leader of the White Walkers. This role belongs to the Night <em>Queen</em>, who is its maker. In my timeline, the Night King's army was defeated in less than a full day, though the living still suffered many losses. However, it was only a distraction, a way to weaken our forces for when the Night Queen's armies came.</p><p>"It was the perfect scenario for them. Westeros had torn itself apart with numerous wars over the years, before and after the Second Long Night, so we were entirely unprepared for when the Night Queen came. In less than five years, every single person met their end by the hands of the undead, and it was a miracle that I survived long enough to find the Children of the Forest in order to be sent back in time to change things."</p><p>Silence falls, and Brienne squeezes her eyes shut. Alysanne's words and voice tone spoke of desolation and grief; how must it have been, to be absolutely alone in the world? Brienne has felt lonely many times in her life, thanks to the things that made her stand out and separated from other women, but even she cannot imagine a scenario in which there is absolutely nobody to turn to. She thinks she'd take scorn and ridicule any day, if it meant there were <em>people</em> around her to do so.</p><p>She opens her eyes to see Jaime looking down. He must have heard that story already, but he looks as sad as everyone else. Finally, someone—Arya—speaks up. "What do you mean when you say the Wall will crumble even without a wight dragon?"</p><p>Alysanne turns to the Stark girl. "The Night Queen has ice dragons at her disposal", she states. "They come from the far end of the Shivering Sea. In my world, the Night King didn't have to resort to them, but I have absolutely <em>no </em>doubts that he will if he finds no other way to cross the Wall. They were used to tear the rest of it down, and to destroy many settlements in Westeros and Essos."</p><p>"And how", Daenerys asks, "are we supposed to stand against them?"</p><p>"Your own dragons, Your Grace", she replies without hesitation. "Fire against ice. Over the years, I've counted three ice dragons on the Night Queen's army, each one ridden by a member of her court."</p><p>"How many members does she have in this… court?", Lady Olenna asks.</p><p>"Seven, including the Night King. They are… there is a word in True Tongue for it, one for which there is no translation." She frowns in concentration. "Oh—it's <em>horcrux</em>."</p><p>She sees Jaime frowning. Clearly, this is new information for him too. He relaxes in a blink of an eye, though. Perhaps he already knew she saved some revelations for the great meeting. At her side, Ser Davos asks, "What does that mean?"</p><p>"Like I said, there is no exact translation for it", Alysanne says. "But it means—the Night Queen created those <em>horcruxes</em> as guardians of her soul—or whatever equivalent of a soul she possesses. In summary, she cannot be killed as long as her <em>horcruxes </em>stand alive. We have to kill every member of her court before even contemplating killing <em>her</em>, and they are already hard to track down already."</p><p>"Did you manage to slay any of them?", A bald man—Varys, she remembers—asks.</p><p>"One", she declares. "A member of the Golden Company slayed a second, and a third was killed by—Brienne of Tarth." All heads turn to her, and she looks at Alysanne, startled. She <em>feels</em> Jaime's gaze on her. "It wasn't enough, though. We never even got to the dragon riders, and I only saw the Night Queen from afar."</p><p>It's Jon's turn to ask questions. "Is there a difference between the Night King, the Night Queen, these other court members, the White Walkers and the wights?"</p><p>She nods. "We never figured out all of those differences", she admits, "especially where it concerns the Night Queen. What we learned was this: the wights can be killed by fire, obsidian or Valyrian steel, any of the three. White Walkers and court members are immune to fire, and gods know what is required to slay the Night Queen." She sighs. "Each court member has a small garrison of White Walkers under their command, which crumble if their master is slayed. The same applies to the hordes of wights at their disposal."</p><p>"Can't we just head straight to these bloody court members then?", Clegane asks.</p><p>"We <em>can</em>", Alysanne replies slowly, "but we'll inevitably face their wights and White Walkers in the process. They exist <em>to </em>stand between us and them, after all. The wights have no strategic thinking; they rely on brute force alone. However, they are numerous, and they don't tire out, so the slightest distraction can be one's undoing. White Walkers are more calculating, and the Night Court is highly intelligent. We need many layers of defense in order to win."</p><p>"What is your idea, then?", Daenerys asks. "You know what <em>didn't</em> work, and I suppose you have some idea of what <em>could</em>."</p><p>The bastard nods. "The Night King may be a distraction, but he is not to be underestimated. He leads the largest wight army, even if not the most powerful. We must eliminate him with minimal losses, and for that, King Jaime and I have an idea."</p><p>She pointedly looks at the aforementioned king, who straightens up and clears his throat. "King's Landing has wildfire caches underground, spread all over", he begins. "They've been there since Aerys' time, and it only grows more unstable with time."</p><p>He stands up. "Bran just told us he is the Night King's primary target, something Ser Alysanne has already told me, Jon and Daenerys. He will march to wherever Bran is. We can use it to lure him and his army to a trap."</p><p>Realization dawns on her: Jaime and Alysanne intend to burn King's Landing down. Jon nods, as if he already knew this, but Daenerys gasps. "You don't want to move the caches out of the city", she states. "You want to bring the undead inside to burn them down."</p><p>"Exactly", he confirms. "We'd need one of your dragons for it. I thought of having Bran stationed at the top of one of the Red Keep's towers—we can demolish the ceiling so it will be open. When the Night King's army enters the city, whoever is riding the dragon takes Bran out and uses said dragon to ignite the caches. Most of them are placed in a way that one ignition will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the entire city. Honestly, we were lucky the sept's explosion didn't cause that chain reaction."</p><p>Brienne can't help but ask, "What about the citizens?" Surely he has a plan for them too, but she can't wonder what.</p><p>He turns to her, and his face softens so visibly, she can't be imagining it, even if he recomposes himself a moment later. "We have evacuation plans ready", he tells her, his gaze initially fixed on hers, then wandering around the audience. "Actually, we have evacuation plans for all settlements on the way between the Wall and King's Landing. The Night King will probably already raise the buried dead from the many graves across the Kingsroad and inside the great castles like Winterfell. There is no need to give him more bodies."</p><p>Jon blinks. "Which settlements do you plan to evacuate?"</p><p>"The entire crowlands", he begins. "All of the Night's Watch's forts. Last Hearth, Winterfell, Dreadfort. It would be wise to evacuate the northern clans too, if the Night King decides to cross the Wall through its west end."</p><p>"He destroyed Eastwatch in my timeline", Alysanne supplies. "But there is no guarantee he won't change tactics if he realizes Castle Black and Eastwatch are empty."</p><p>"Yes", Jaime agrees. "Thorren's Square, Cerwyn, White Harbor. It'd be ideal to evacuate the crannogmen too, <em>but</em>, if their homes are as hidden as they claim to be, they can actually be useful as a distraction for the Night King—I do believe it would be wise to place small garrisons so he won't realize our trap right away.</p><p>"And I'm only talking about the North—which is not my area of expertise. In the riverlands, we have the Crossroads Inn village, Harroway's town, the entire region of Gods' Eye, Harrenhal. The Twins are already empty, I think, but it would be wise to make sure of it."</p><p>Daenerys tilts her head. "And where would we send all these people to?"</p><p>"This is where our alliances come most at play, actually. We need to send the people to regions where the Night King is unlikely to go. He can't freeze oceans, so islands are a safe place. Bear Island, the Iron Islands, Tarth, Estermont… Even here, in Dragonstone. Dorne and the Reach as a whole are supposedly safe, given they are south of King's Landing. The stormlands as well, though I can't speak for a region whose lords are mostly <em>not</em> here. The Vale is also supposed to be safe, given all the trouble that is going through it. And, of course, the West, which I can freely speak for. We'd give shelter to as many people as we can."</p><p>A man she doesn't recognize stands up. "People from the Neck and White Harbor can take refuge in Vale's port cities and islands", he declares. "The Eyrie and other high castles are unusable during winter, though."</p><p>She stands up next. "Tarth can host a small number of crowlanders", she announces, and Jaime smiles brightly at her.</p><p>Daenerys nods. "A few crownlanders can come here as well, although, with the arrival of the Reach's armies and my own, I'm afraid we can't host many."</p><p>"The Reach can go back for the time being", Lady Olenna replies. "Your armies are still large, Your Grace, but with our leave there will be more space for refugees. The Reach will also welcome them."</p><p>"Dorne is open to whoever wants to hide there", Princess Arianne declares.</p><p>Two girls, Alys Karstark and Lyanna Mormont, proudly offer their homes to the Greyjoy siblings tell them the Iron Islands are not good for hosting too many people, but offer them anyway.</p><p>"I'm glad we're all together in this", Jon finally says. "We can begin evacuation immediately, starting with the North." He turns to Alysanne. "I believe our most immediate concern is solved here."</p><p>She nods. "It took two decades for the Night Queen to cross the Wall after the Night King fell. While I strongly believe we should go for her before she grows strong, we can detail our next steps after the Night King is defeated. The only thing we still need to discuss is <em>how</em> we kill him. Even after we burn his army, he will still be standing in King's Landing after the wildfire dies out."</p><p>"We can have soldiers stationed in the kingswood", Jaime replies easily. "Near Wendwater. The dragons can fly around the city to monitor the fire and the Night King, and give signals as soon as it's safe for them to invade. You said he was first defeated by a single blow, right?"</p><p>Alysanne nods again. "Arya Stark", she says, looking at the lady in question, "pierced the Night King with a Valyrian steel dagger. That's all we need… but his White Walkers will probably still be alive too when the fire dies out. That group is strong, so we need a handful of soldiers to hold them down."</p><p>"We can pick these soldiers later, though", Jon states. "For now, we focus on evacuation efforts. Tomorrow we will decide where the citizens of each city, village and settlement will go. Take the rest of the day to rest and think on the subject."</p><hr/><p>An hour later, she finds herself walking along the shore with Jaime. His ever-present guard was 'stolen' by Tyrion, leaving the two of them alone—much to her delight <em>and</em> dismay.</p><p>They walk in silence all the way out of the castle. She senses he is too tense to speak inside its walls, so she waits for him to feel comfortable to talk, which he only does after he finds a cave. He leans against one of its walls and gestures for her to come closer. "How have you been?", he asks. "I've heard there was a battle against the Boltons. Did you take part in it?"</p><p>She shakes her head. "Pod and I arrived in Winterfell just as Jon was proclaimed King in the North", she explains.</p><p>He grins. "I'm sure that battle would have ended quicker if you were there", he says teasingly. Then, softer, "But I'm glad you were far from that mess."</p><p>"You can't know whether it was a mess or not", she replies, but her heart is not in it.</p><p>"All battles are, my lady." <em>My lady</em>. Not <em>wench</em>, or any of the other nicknames he made up for her, or even her name. "Has your new liege lady been treating you well? I should hope so; I'd hate to find out I armed and armored you only for you to end up serving a cruel woman."</p><p>"Lady Sansa is a good person", she replies. "She's treated me kindly and is a good lady to her subjects. I was surprised by her gentleness, considering all she's gone through."</p><p>He sighs. "I'm glad she didn't let this forsaken world corrupt her", he whispers, looking away. "It's happened far too often."</p><p>Silence follows, even as he turns his gaze back to her. The intensity of his eyes on hers leaves her weak, so she decides to come up with another subject. "Your cousin", she begins, "from… the future. Who <em>is</em> she, really?"</p><p>His reaction is unexpected: he chuckles. "If you fear for my safety, my lady, worry not. Alysanne has been telling the truth about everything… <em>except</em> her parentage." He bites his lower lip, and Brienne has to make an incredible effort not to stare at it. "It is not my secret to tell. She was told by her peers to only disclose this information to those who guessed it right, and so far only I've been able to, but I can tell you this: she's half-Lannister, indeed, and she was conceived at the end of this year, shortly after the battle against the Night King."</p><p>She frowns, and the first thing she realizes is, "She's not your cousin. Your uncle could not have sired her."</p><p>He nods, grinning. "Clever thinking. So far none of my men has realized it yet. What else can you guess, Brienne?"</p><p>He says her name so sweetly, it almost drives her to distraction. Almost. "Can she still be conceived?" He nods. "You and Tyrion are the only Lannisters left." He nods again, more enthusiastically. "I—Jon said she claims to not have been born with those eyes of hers."</p><p>"She wasn't", he admits. "It was a side effect of the ritual she was subjected to in order to go back in time."</p><p>"Do you know how her eyes looked beforehand?"</p><p>He frowns. "Funny thing, I never asked. I didn't need that information to figure out her identity. Other aspects of her appearance gave it away for me, along with some background. C'mon, ask."</p><p>"You are way too excited for this", she says dryly.</p><p>His shoulders fall a bit. "Sorry", he replies sheepishly. "It's just—I've been the only one to know this so far, and I'm sure you can figure it out if you try hard enough. But if you want to speak of other things, we can change the subject." He reaches to grab her wrist. "I've missed you, Brienne, and I want to spend time with you before the mess of the battles to come sets us apart again."</p><p>She grabs his hand tightly, if only to anchor her in place. He missed her? He wants her company?</p><p>His eyes are fixed on hers again, and this time she can't bring herself to look away. Gods only know how much time passes before she finds it in herself to speak. "What happened in King's Landing?", she asks, even though she's afraid the question will drive him away.</p><p>He looks down, but doesn't let go of her hand. "Cersei was the one behind the burning of the Sept", he tells her quietly. "I've suspected it from the start, but there was little I could do without confirmation. I wanted to believe her innocence, especially when she—she began to not hide our relationship anymore."</p><p>"Oh, Jaime", she lets out. She can only imagine how he must have felt, to be able to love his sister out in the open. It breaks her heart, but she understands how happy he must have felt.</p><p>He shakes his head, eyes squeezed shut. "We weren't on good terms, though", he adds. "I barely talked to her, especially after she dared call Tommen a traitor—our <em>son</em>, Brienne, who jumped to his death after witnessing the explosion, and all she had to say was an insult against him?" He inhales sharply. "Then she sent me to take over Highgarden and eliminate Olenna." He opens his eyes. "It was where I met Alysanne. She told me of things that happened in her world—any doubts I had about Cersei were solved. I knew I could not support her any longer."</p><p>"What did she tell you?"</p><p>"It's better if <em>she</em> tells you", he says gently. "Part of it is your story too." She's already guessed she survived the Second Long Night, since Alysanne mentioned her slaying a member of the Night Court in the Third one. "But… Cersei's actions weakened the living's forces even more in the long run. I went back to King's Landing thinking of ways to diminish her power, to lessen her influence in the great scheme of things, but… there was no other way."</p><p>It dawns on her the meaning of his words. "You killed her", she whispers.</p><p>"There was a trial", he replies. "Sort of. She made me her Hand, unknowingly giving me the power I needed to bring her to justice, and made Alysanne her Queensguard on the assumption she was Uncle Kevan's natural daughter. She liked the idea of having a Lannister bastard guarding her. One day, she told her Tommen died a traitor. It was the perfect opportunity to strike. How could Tommen betray the Crown if <em>he</em> <em>was </em>the Crown?" He sighs. "I made her indirectly confess that she ordered the explosion of the sept, then listed a few of her most serious crimes. She demanded a trial by combat and named Alysanne as her champion."</p><p>"But she was in the plan with you", Brienne finishes, "wasn't she?"</p><p>"She was the one who came up with most of it", he tells her. "She's an <em>excellent</em> swordswoman, Brienne", he cannot hide the pride in his voice, and his eyes shine upon saying that, "but Cersei didn't know that, so she never really noticed she was bluffing. Then she yielded." His expression saddens. "I was the one who executed her."</p><p>Before she can think better of it, she hugs him. His arms encircle her waist tightly, and he hides his face in the curve of her neck. "I'm sorry you had to do this", she whispers to him, rubbing his back as soothingly as she can. She may not be a delicate maiden, but if she can give him <em>some</em> comfort, she will.</p><p>He seems to appreciate her efforts. "I wish there had been another way", he whispers back, "but—Alysanne revealed to me some specific people must be alive for the fight against the Night Queen, and most of them would be at constant risk of dying, if Cersei stayed alive." He inhales deeply, seemingly not caring if she smelled of sweat. "Alysanne <em>despises</em> her greatly, even if she is her aunt. She blamed Cersei for many of her sufferings, even though she was long gone at the time of her birth."</p><p>Out of sudden curiosity, she asks, "What does she think of you and Tyrion?"</p><p>For whatever reason, he hugs her even tighter. "Tyrion was among the people she grew up with", he says, in a tone that leaves ambiguous whether he raised her as father or uncle. Then, "I was already dead when she was born."</p><p>He sounds so, <em>so</em> sad at saying that, she can't help but bring a hand to his hair, caressing it softly. They stay that way for several moments as she processes all he's said—and it dawns on her.</p><p>His earlier excitement at having her guess Alysanne's parentage. His pride upon praising her abilities with a sword. The way his voice cracked when telling her he never met her in the other timeline. "She's your daughter", she tells him, voice low. He feels him nodding against her neck. "Oh, <em>Jaime</em>", she exclaims.</p><p>In another world, Jaime had a daughter he most likely could have claimed openly, had he lived. The knowledge must have taken a toll on him—no wonder Jon noticed the two being close in King's Landing. Alysanne was meeting her father for the first time ever, and Jaime was finally given a chance at actually being a father.</p><p>But who is her mother, if not Cersei? She can't think of any other woman he could have laid down with—</p><p>No. It can't be. It's wishful thinking of her part.</p><p>It seems that she stopped caressing his hair, for he raises his head to look at her. "Brienne?", he asks, voice so low she almost misses it.</p><p>"Who is her mother?", she asks, voice trembling.</p><p>His hand squeezes her hip. "I think you know", he tells her softly.</p><p>"It can't be."</p><p>"I won't be able to tell you if you don't say it, my lady."</p><p>She doesn't know how long it takes for her to finally say, "Is it me?"</p><p>His answer is the brightest smile she's ever seen—and a kiss on her lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Most information regarding the Night Queen and the 'Night Court' is made up by me - I mean, the use of 'horcruxes' should give that away. While I understand that D&amp;D likely adapted the way the White Walkers/Others work in order to simplify things for everyone, relying all of your forces on one guy sounds too much like a Death Star-like fatal flaw for me to believe it will work that way in the books. However, I can't imagine how things will turn out in the saga, so the only way I found to maintain the show's worldbuilding while still making the Night Queen a big threat was to resort to the 'horcruxes' plot device - and why not keep the name? xD<br/>---<br/>I'm not sure how the story's pace will go from now on. I want to focus on relationship building and leave fight descriptions for the final battle. Obviously the main focus will be on Jaime/Brienne/Alysanne, but I'm open to other suggestions! Bran still has to talk to Alysanne about what happened to him in her world, and there is still the matter of Jon's parentage... so many things to cover still!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Bran I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In this brief interlude, Bran finds out he still has a lot to learn.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Ser Alysanne Hill—or rather, Alysanne Lannister of Tarth—leaves the main hall with Tyrion, Bran asks Arya to wheel him to the castle's small forest. It's no godswood—there are no weirwood trees—but being surrounded by nature helps him relax and think.</p><p>He's watched the time traveler closely since he found out about her arrival. He's seen all her conversations with Jaime Lannister—her father—and paid close attention to her stories—notably, the ones that feature Bran himself.</p><p>He feels the human side of him emerge as he reminisces his finding. His first instinct is to suppress it, but if Alysanne got things right, it's precisely this suppression of his human self that led him to make so many mistakes. It is not yet clear what his other self's mistakes had been, though he can guess. <em>I can't work on guesses alone</em>, he reminds himself. <em>I must speak to her.</em></p><p>Arya has already left him—she already learned when she is not wanted—so he focuses on warging into the closest raven. As he enters the animal's mind, he directs it to find Alysanne.</p><p>She is near the entrance of the forest, walking with Tyrion Lannister. His human self, now a bit more at surface than usual, remembers the dwarf positively. "So", he begins, "as we've already established, you are my niece through Jaime." Alysanne nods. "Both of you refused to tell me your mother's identity, but my brother wasn't really subtle today."</p><p>"He told me being obvious was part of his plan", she states with a hint of amusement in her otherwise cold eyes.</p><p>Bran knows her wight-like eyes should have unsettled him, like they unsettled Jon and pretty much everyone else at first. However, his knowledge on the White Walkers, although recently revealed to be limited, is enough to tell him, from the start, that the woman is fully human, even if she suffered some changes in order to achieve her goal to go back in time.</p><p>Tyrion laughs. "Then I suppose I'm right in guessing your mother is Brienne of Tarth?"</p><p>She is proud when she tells him, "Yes. I'm the daughter of two of the finest knights of the realm."</p><p>"Knights? You mean to say Lady Brienne was knighted in your world?"</p><p>Her smile widens, and it is easy to forget her eyes when she smiles. "By my father, must I add. He knighted her before the battle against the Night King."</p><p>"I bet he is itching to do it sooner this time around", he replies, and both laugh. Then, as their laugh dies out, he asks, "And how was it, to be raised by <em>two of the finest knights of the realm</em>?"</p><p>Her smile falls. "Father died without even knowing Mother was pregnant." Tyrion gasps. "When your queen marched to King's Landing, he stayed behind in Winterfell with Mother. Everyone was sure he had cut all ties with Aunt Cersei—I think he believed that too, for a time. But then… some news arrived, news that… shook him off. We will never know what was going on in his mind, but…"</p><p>"He went back to Cersei", Tyrion finishes for her.</p><p>"Yes", she admits. "But that alone wasn't what killed him. In fact, it shouldn't have killed him at all." She then proceeds to explain how Daenerys turned mad, burned King's Landing (leading to the deaths of both Lannister twins, along with thousands of others) and came to die at the hands of Jon Snow, and how <em>Bran</em> ended up King of Westeros.</p><p>He decides it is time to draw her attention. His raven quorks at her direction and, when she looks up, flies back to him.</p><hr/><p>She shows up less than an hour later. "You called me", she says—it isn't a question.</p><p>He arches his eyebrows. "Most people would not realize that so fast."</p><p>She tilts her head. "Bran, I've known you for two decades. I'd argue I know you better than you know yourself right now. Of course I knew what that raven meant." She sits beside him on the ground. "What do you want to talk about? Have you watched me in King's Landing?"</p><p>Of course she knows he'd do that. It seems that she indeed knows him better than he knows himself. "I want to know what mistakes I made", he replies simply.</p><p>She shifts to take a better look at him. "I'm in no position to judge you", she begins, "any version of you. When I say you made mistakes, I'm quoting yourself. You came to regret many things as the years went by."</p><p>"Tell me about them."</p><p>She takes a deep breath. "You first regretted the way you said your goodbye to Meera. Do you remember?"</p><p>He does, obviously. His human self saddens at the reminder of the unfeeling way he parted ways with Meera. As the Raven, he thought it best to cut ties entirely; he could not see a life where she'd have a place in.</p><p>"Why did I regret it? Had I been able to have her by my side?"</p><p>She nods. "As your… human self came more and more to surface, you managed to make amends. She was married by then—she wedded a Blackmyre two years after your coronation—but you rekindled your friendship, and she stayed beside you when her husband died in the Third Long Night."</p><p>That's good, he supposes; better than he ever imagined for himself. He knew, deep down, that what he felt for Meera is love, but what does the Three-Eyed Raven have to offer the heir to House Reed?</p><p>Alysanne continues. "Most of your regrets were rooted in poor communication skills. You are terrible at expressing your thoughts and feelings, and even though you got better with time, you really stopped messing up when you learned to <em>show</em> your visions. That's how I learned most things I know about what happened in my timeline." She scratches her head. "You regretted the way you dealt with Jaime, my father."</p><p>He frowns. His human self is torn between anger and pity. "What did I do?"</p><p>"When he went to Winterfell to fight for the living, my mother vouched for him and saved him from execution. Later, he asked you why you didn't tell anyone he'd been the one to cripple you. You told him he was needed in battle, which is why you didn't do the one thing that could have easily sentenced him to death. He then asked you, 'And afterwards?', and you replied with another question: 'Who said there is an afterwards?'"</p><p>She sighs. "Years and years later, you told me you answered like that because you <em>really didn't know</em> what would happen after the battle. You had seen yourself with a crown, but even that was so vague you had no way of knowing it meant you'd become King of Westeros. However, the way you said it made Father think <em>he</em> wasn't meant to survive the war. When he emerged alive from the Long Night, he still assumed he wasn't fated to live long after that."</p><p>Bran looks at the hands in his lap. "So he rode to his death in King's Landing."</p><p>"It wasn't the only reason he did that", she concedes, "but it's safe to say it didn't help him see that staying was an option. When… when we realized he was supposed to have stayed alive to face the Night Queen, you felt extremely guilty." She crosses her legs. "You told me—Look, Father was wrong in pushing you out of the window. There is no questioning it. But… you truly believed it was a necessary evil, for both of you. You had to fall into a coma <em>before</em> your father could take you to King's Landing, and your fall led to a series of events that, ideally, would have made us win the Great War. Father's death was one of the many things that made you think you didn't live up to your potential as Three-Eyed Raven—that you should have done more with your powers."</p><p>He has no reply for that, not at this moment, so he asks, "What else have I done wrong?"</p><p>"You—you already know of Jon's parentage, right?" He nods. "You spent years thinking of how you could have told him that in less disastrous ways. You and Melisandre both believed his parentage meant he was the one destined to save us from the Night King, but in the end it was a pointless revelation that only contributed to drive Daenerys mad. You also regretted sending him to the far North, because it led to his premature death.</p><p>"As for Daenerys… you had seen King's Landing burning, but all you did was remind Tyrion of the wildfire under the city. It didn't occur to you that it could be <em>dragonfire</em>, so you didn't bother to check on the Dragon Queen's mental state. You also blamed yourself for not warning her of Euron Greyjoy's fleet, but… honestly, she should have known about it already.</p><p>"You blamed yourself for not doing more to prevent Arya's death in her impossible voyage across the Sunset Sea. For placing Theon in the Night King's path, all because he wanted to compensate for the harm he did to you years prior. You regretted letting Tyrion crown you, for you believed you'd have noticed the Night Queen's threat sooner if you had stayed in Winterfell."</p><p>He sighs when she finishes. "So many regrets", he comments. "I don't even know how to begin to prevent them."</p><p>She smiles. "Cersei is already dead, and Father already told Daenerys he will bend the knee to her if she proves not to be her father's daughter. Those two events already fix many things. The new plans against the Night King will likely spare Theon, and stopping Arya from exploring the Sunset Sea will be easy, I think. Euron Greyjoy is also already gone, so no worries about him slaying a dragon." She stands up. "Let your human self come to surface, Bran. You two can help each other out. Come to me if you ever need extra help. You are still important for this war, and you matter to your family as a whole. Don't forget that."</p><p>With that, she leaves Bran to his thoughts. He has a lot to make up for, and a lot to prevent, but Alysanne is right. No human being should be ruled by logic alone; emotions exist for a reason, and it's about time he relearns to use them.</p><p>(Who knows, it might not be too late for him and Meera this time.)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Jaime VII</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tooth-rotting fluff. That's it, that's the chapter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kissing Brienne is amazing, dizzyingly so. At some point he feels his muscles hurting from smiling, but he can't help himself—not when she's kissing him back, clumsy but oh, so sweet. Her hands dig his hair, while his flesh one cups her cheek; their bodies still pressed against one another, since they never really broke their hug.</p><p>He feels so whole, so happy, that a small part of him can't help but wonder how he ever thought whatever he had with Cersei had been love—then Brienne's tongue clashes against his and Cersei is thrown to the farthest corners of his mind.</p><p>He has no idea how much time passes until they finally break apart. He rests his forehead against hers and takes him time gazing at her. She's panting heavily (so is he), her astonishingly blue eyes are almost gone in her oversized pupils (he bets the same can be said about his own), her lips are red and swollen, well-kissed—and only his need for air stops him from pouncing at her again.</p><p>She's the first to break the silence. "I—I'll take it as a yes", she says breathlessly.</p><p>It takes a moment for him to remember what he supposedly said yes to, and then he chuckles, feeling giggling happiness wash over him. He doesn't remember feeling like this since he was a small child. "Yes, she's your daughter, too. <em>Our</em> daughter." He swallows heavily. "Do you—is this good news for you?"</p><p>She looks down, blushing. Alysanne has assured him repeatedly that his feelings for Brienne are mutual. <em>Mother loved you until the end of her days</em>. But it is one thing to <em>feel</em>, another to acknowledge it and act on it. Gods know how long it took for him to embrace his love for her; who's to say she is ready to accept his heart?</p><p>Her silence makes him nervous. Perhaps he was too reckless, and she only kissed him back out of instinct. Perhaps she didn't get the meaning behind his kiss and his smile. "Brienne, look at me", he asks gently, his hand never leaving her cheek. She obeys him, and her eyes glimmer in a way that makes him forget how to breathe. <em>I hope Alysanne was born with her mother's eyes.</em></p><p>"It's alright if you don't… if you don't feel the same." It isn't, to be honest, but he won't force her to anything. "But I love you. I've loved you for years—I can't even tell you <em>when</em> I fell for you, because it was all so confusing for me, I can't pinpoint the exact moment when you took over my heart."</p><p>He gulps. "But you did. You showed me what true love is—not the messed up thing I had with Cersei. You inspire me to be a better man. I… I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone else, and I <em>know</em> my heart is safe with you because you'd never ask me anything that would bring me dishonor. I'm <em>happy</em> to be in love with you, even if you don't love me back." He inhales. "So, when I figured out that Alysanne was <em>our</em> daughter from the future… I felt like bloody singing, Brienne. Nothing—<em>nothing</em> felt more right in the world than the thought of you heavy with my child, raising Alys together…"</p><p>Only it wasn't what happened. He never got to see any of this, in Alysanne's world. But he'd rather leave that part of the conversation for after he learns of Brienne's current feelings on the matter. "You are in no way obliged to feel the same", he repeats. "I know I'm far from being an ideal husband for you. I just wanted you to know how much I love you."</p><p>She's breathless again, as if he had kissed her instead of pouring his heart to her. Finally, she moves her hand to his cheeks, caressing his beard. "You lost your sword hand to save me for rape", she reminds him. "You turned away from King's Landing to go back to Harrenhal for me, and jumped into a bear pit, without a weapon or a plan, to rescue me. You protected me from your family in the capital. You gave me customized armor, a Valyrian steel sword, a horse and a loyal squire so I could fulfill an oath that directly opposed your house's plans. You took Riverrun without bloodshed because I <em>asked</em> you to, and then you made sure I escaped safely, even though it was the complete opposite of what your sister would want you to do." He doesn't know why she's listing all these things—does she realize he's done them out of love for her? But then her next words catch him by surprise: "Tell me, Jaime, should I <em>not</em> fall in love with you even after all of this?"</p><p>His throat is suddenly burning, and he feels tears threatening to come out of his eyes. He should have known she'd say something like this. Alysanne prepared him for these words. Why does he feel so overwhelmed?</p><p>He barely manages to stutter, "It was—nothing."</p><p>She chuckles, hands firm on his face. "Jaime, you were the first person to respect me and see my worth. If people look up to me today in Winterfell, it's because of <em>you</em>. I <em>know</em> you trust me, and no one has ever seen me as trustworthy before you bared your soul to me in Harrenhal. No one ever deemed me worth saving before you. I know I'll never be a beauty, but you were the first person to make me think my looks don't matter as much as I've always believed they did."</p><p>That he does not like. "You look beautiful to me", he whispers. "I may not have found it so at first, but—I could look at you all day, and it would not be enough."</p><p>Apparently, it's the right thing to say, for she kisses him again, and it's a long time before any rational thought comes to his mind.</p><hr/><p>The sun is setting when they finally make their way back to Dragonstone. They have yet to talk about the story of Alysanne's conception and birth, but Brienne seemed to accept when he told her he'd rather tell it with her. <em>If she remembers I told her I died before she was born, she must have guessed it is not a happy story.</em> Well, so far nothing she knows about their daughter speaks of a happy life, actually, so it is possible Brienne is not that eager to hear about it.</p><p>He finds Alysanne in the dinner hall, seemingly being questioned by anyone who manages to get near her. He remembers how Princess Arianne eagerly asked her about her future on their way here, and guesses other people must have similar curiosity. <em>All of their stories end the same</em>, he thinks. <em>And then they died. Everyone died.</em></p><p>For uptenth time, his heart aches at the thought of his daughter alone in the world after witnessing her own mother's death. Unbidden, his hand reaches for Brienne's and squeezes it under the table, just as Tyrion comes to sit across them.</p><p>"My dear brother", he greets Jaime, raising the cup of wine he brought along. He takes a sip and turns to Brienne. "My lady, it is a pleasure to meet you." He turns back to Jaime. "I've had the most enlightening talk with your white sword. She told some… truths. Or rather, she made me guess."</p><p>He raises his eyebrows. There is only one thing Alysanne would make people guess rather than telling them straight away. "You know who her parents are, I assume", he replies. Tyrion nods, glancing at Brienne.</p><p>"I know it, too", she tells his brother. "Jaime made me guess as well."</p><p>Tyrion glances at the direction of where their hands remain intertwined, as if he could see them. "At this rate", he says, "I won't be surprised if this whole castle guesses it by the end of the month."</p><p>"My men have yet to guess she isn't Uncle Kevan's bastard", he replies dryly. "And they've known her age since I introduced her to them. You'd think they'd at least guess the timing doesn't add up, but not even Bronn figured out."</p><p>Tyrion opens his mouth, but he hears a female voice replying instead. "That's because they can't think of a mother", Alysanne tells them as she sits beside Tyrion. "They all know you wouldn't seek a whore, or even a servant, and the only women you've talked to in King's Landing were me, Daenerys, and Princess Arianne."</p><p>"Fair point", Jaime states. "Are you seeking refuge from everyone who wants to have their fortune told?"</p><p>She rolls her eyes, and he instinctively knows he's right. "I'm just telling them they died, and died, and died. If I think someone should know what happened to them in my world, I'll seek them out myself."</p><p>They all chuckle at that. "But many people came to me asking why I wield two swords", she adds. "At least <em>those</em> conversations were fun."</p><p>"I <em>am</em> curious about your dual swords, niece", Tyrion says. "And I'd bet your mother is too."</p><p>Brienne nods, and Alysanne tells them about her training in her younger years, as well as the story of how she found each Targaryen sword. When their plates are emptied, she sets them aside to place Dark Sister and Blackfyre on it, so they could inspect it. Brienne's eyes shine in the torchlight, and he can't stop staring at her as she admires the swords.</p><p>Finally, she raises her head to look at their daughter. Her face is once again serious, and suddenly he dreads what she is going to say. "I'd like to know", she asks, slowly, "how you came to grow up without your father."</p><p>He gulps and glances at Alysanne, who is already looking at him. "I thought you had told her", she says, almost accusingly."</p><p>"I didn't have the courage", he admits.</p><p>She nods, seemingly understanding. "But you should at least start", she counters, "with your… condition. Uncle Tyrion should know, too, and this table is isolated enough to be safe to speak."</p><p>He can feel Brienne and Tyrion's gazes, but his eyes remain on the table—the swords had already been taken back. Quietly, only loud enough to be heard by the three of them, he reveals about his habit of going away inside when he doesn't feel safe in some way.</p><p>"You advised me to do that once", Brienne says when he finishes. "When—before you got your hand cut off."</p><p>He hears Tyrion add, "I've seen you with a distant look, sometimes. I never—it never crossed my mind it could be something like this."</p><p>"Neither of you could have known", he says. "It's not like it happens to everyone."</p><p>A short silence follows, and then his brother asks, "What does it have to do with your premature death, though?"</p><p>He shoots his head up abruptly, leaving him dizzy for a moment. He takes quick breaths to calm himself down and opens his mouth to speak, but then he looks into Brienne's eyes and—</p><p>He can't tell her how he abandoned her. He can't tell her how, in another lifetime, he chose to die with Cersei over living with her. He <em>can't</em>.</p><p>So he looks pleadingly at Alysanne and wordlessly stands up, not even hearing their calls as the heads outside.</p><hr/><p>It takes little more than an hour before Brienne finds him. <em>What is she doing here? Did Alysanne not tell her the truth of what I did?</em></p><p>Her hands rest on his arms and her chest is pressed against his back. He inhales sharply, unsure of what to do with her touch. "Jaime", she whispers, so softly it hurts. "<em>Jaime</em>", she calls again when he doesn't respond. "You are not that man. <em>Please</em> come back to me."</p><p>He feels his throat burning, but manages to reply, "How can you still want me near you?" Carefully, he turns to face her, because he's selfish and he needs to look in her eyes. "I left you sobbing in the middle of the night to die with a woman who tried to kill me twice. I took your maidenhead and impregnated you only to leave you alone with a baby to raise."</p><p>She shakes her head. "We are talking about another Jaime", she insists. "Yes, in another life, you did that, though <em>our daughter</em> was adamant to explain it did not mean you didn't love me. But you must not feel guilt over things <em>you</em> haven't done." She cups his face. "There is no Cersei to go back to, this time, and <em>you</em> made sure of that. I know you won't leave me now, because now you know you have things to live for. And if you still do… I don't plan on letting you go this time."</p><p>She sounds so determined, so fierce, he can't help the tears that fall, one from each eye. "I think", he whispers after she kisses his tears away, "there is a sure way to prevent me from ever leaving you—not that I want to." He swallows heavily. "Marry me, Brienne."</p><p>She startles and takes a step back, blinking. "What?"</p><p>He grabs one of her hands and kisses it. "Marry me, my lady", he repeats. "I had planned on courting you, like you deserve to be courted, but there is a war looming over us, and I'd rather fight it at your side, as your husband. Protect you not because you need me to, but because I can't bear to see you hurt. And then, when we finally find peace, work on bringing baby Alysanne to this world—preferably with a whole bunch of siblings to keep her company. How does that sound to you, Brienne?"</p><p>Her lips are trembling, but her eyes shine, so he waits patiently for her words. Then, finally, she smiles. "Yes", she whispers. "I'll marry you, Jaime." And seals her answer with a kiss.</p><p>Yes, a war looms over them all—but, he thinks as he bites her upper lip, one can find happiness even in the darkest hours. He knows he has.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Obviously, we'll have a chapter for the wedding! (No bedding descriptions, sorry but I don't write smut!)<br/>I still haven't decided WHERE they will marry, so the next chapter may take a while to be written. I know I've spoiled you with daily updates (sometimes twice a day), but please be patient &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Brienne II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which I throw fluff, mother-daughter moments, plot and Bronn into a mix, and it somehow works.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Holidays &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It takes very little effort on Jaime's part to convince Brienne to go to Tarth and King's Landing with him. "You need to go to your home anyway", he explains, "to assess how many refugees it can host."</p><p>His desire to spend as much as possible with her is clear on his face, and she feels powerless to refuse him. The only thing in her way is her vow to the Stark girls. He offers to make her case to King Jon and Lady Arya, so now she finds herself waiting for him with Alysanne—<em>their daughter</em>. She wants so much to talk to her, but doesn't know how. What does she expect from a young version of her mother?</p><p>After a short silence, she comes up with something. "In your world", she begins, "did I marry?"</p><p>Alysanne is caught by surprise and blinks before answering, "No", she says, her tone implying the alternative would be odd. "You joined King Bran's Kingsguard precisely to avoid marriage, especially after you found out about your pregnancy."</p><p>"What about my duties to Tarth?"</p><p>"Well, you provided an heir", she reminds her, gesturing to herself. "Maybe things would have turned out differently had I not lived to womanhood, but… Anyway, I was ready to take over Evenfall when Grandfather died, but he lived to see the Third Long Night." She glances away. "By the time he died, titles and inheritances were no longer an issue."</p><p>"Oh", she lets out. "It… it makes sense, I think."</p><p>Alysanne turns her gaze back to her. It's hard to tell what is going on in her mind with those eyes of hers. "You never stopped loving Father", she states, gently. "You told me once that you were glad I resembled him so much, because it was a reminder of him."</p><p>She can't help but smile at that. It is sweet to think she can love someone until the end of her days, even after said someone is long gone. "What about you?", she asks. "Did you have someone to love?"</p><p>She looks down. "For most of my life", she replies, "boys were not something I thought about. By the time I grew interested in them… all my attention got turned to the Night Queen's army. I had family and friends to rely on, but not a lover, no."</p><p>There is an urge to come forward and hug her daughter, but she remains in her place. <em>I'm not really her mother</em>, she remembers. <em>Her real mother is dead. </em>"Who was your family?", she says instead. "Besides me?"</p><p>That seems to be a better subject; Alysanne raises her eyes back to her and smiles. "Uncle Tyrion, for one. He lived in the Red Keep as Hand of the King, and once a year he'd take me to Casterly Rock. His aunt Genna, who miraculously survived the Frey massacre, held the castle in his name, and she was a nice woman, even if she talked and moved like a honey-drunk bee." Brienne finds herself chuckling at the comparison. "There was Grandfather too, when we visited Evenfall."</p><p>"And friends?"</p><p>"Most of them were the ones who lived at court. I got closer with King Bran in his last years, thanks to the many sessions of vision-sharing. My closest friend was Tarly's adopted son Sam, but he left for his family seat when I was twelve. Gilly was a close companion too, and helped me with all feminine stuff you didn't feel confident enough to teach me. There was Pod, Bronn, Davos… later, there was Meera Reed and Lollys Stokeworth. I'd get along with some children from the city, but not many families lived in King's Landing for long after the fire, so those friendships didn't last. I met Sansa a few times, as well as Yara Greyjoy, Arianne and Quentyn Martell, Gendry…" She shrugs. "I have nothing to complain about my social life."</p><p>Even so, the clear lack of friends of her age made Brienne sad. <em>Jaime is right, we should give her siblings this time around.</em> Hopefully both of them will <em>stay alive</em> long enough to accomplish that.</p><p>Her next question almost doesn't come out. "Were we… close?"</p><p>Alysanne beams, making her wonder why she hesitated. "The closest", she says. "Even in your busiest days, you made time for me, either to train me, to have a meal or just to put me to bed. It helped that I wanted to follow your footsteps and become a knight, but you were a great mother regardless."</p><p>She blinks. "Oh, good", she says, weakly. "Good to know that I succeeded in being a mother."</p><p>"You loved me and acted on that love. From what I've seen and heard, that already made you better than most parents."</p><p>She can't really argue that point. Before she can ask more, Jaime comes out, looking a bit dazed. "They want to speak to you", he tells her, not nearly as happy as she thought he'd be.</p><p>She wants to ask what happened, but decides against it and enters the room. Jon, Arya and Bran wait for her by the table. "Your Grace", she says, greeting Jon. "My lady, my lord."</p><p>"Lady Brienne", Jon acknowledges. "Let us all sit. We have a few things to discuss."</p><p>The three of them are already sitting, so Brienne takes the remaining seat next to Arya, facing Jon and Bran.</p><p>The King in the North clears his throat. "It's come to our knowledge that… King Jaime and you are betrothed. He came here to request a… reprieve from your duties to House Stark in order to go with him to Tarth and King's Landing."</p><p>She nods. "It's true, Your Grace."</p><p>"Is the marriage something you want, Lady Brienne?"</p><p>She feels herself blush. "Yes, Your Grace. Jaime and I… we have history together."</p><p>Arya gasps, suddenly. "That knight that follows him around", she says, "the one who know all about the White Walkers. She's from the future—she's your daughter, isn't she? She looks a lot like him, but she has your nose and shoulders!"</p><p>She blinks. "Yes. I found out shortly after the meeting."</p><p>"Is that why you're getting married?", Jon asks.</p><p>"Not exactly, Your Grace. I've… I've loved Jaime for years." She feels herself flush even deeper. "I admit the knowledge that we… that there was—there is—a future in which we have a child together… made everything happen faster and more easily, but I believe it would have happened anyway."</p><p>Jon stares at her intently. "So… are you happy, then? To marry him?" She nods. "And you believe he loves you back?" She nods, unable to explain in words how she finally accepted his love without any doubts.</p><p>Jaime's declaration was too heartfelt not to be sincere, and his eyes held her gaze with so much adoration, it could not be faked. Then later, his inability to confess another self's sins and his clear desire to make things right this time around sealed it for her. No man could say or do those things without feeling deep, honest love.</p><p>Jon nods slowly, then takes a deep breath. "Er… My lady, are you aware of your betrothed's… crimes?"</p><p>She raises her eyebrows, sensing where this is going. "Jaime spilled all of his worst sins on the very day we met", she replies carefully. "But are we talking about a specific one?"</p><p>It's Bran who answers. "The time he pushed me out of a window."</p><p>Oh. "I… am aware, yes. As I said, he told me that upon meeting him."</p><p>Arya snorts. "How charming", she teases. "Well, good to know. We were afraid you were marrying him without knowing him as well as you thought." She glances at her crippled brother. "By the way… you don't have to worry about our judgement. Bran made it <em>very clear</em> that your betrothed is forgiven." She looks back at Brienne. "My brother told us to believe in redemption, and I trust you to judge his character fairly. If you love him, he must have become a better man. You have our blessing, and our permission to go spend time with him."</p><p>"It should have been my line, Arya", Jon says, though he's grinning slightly. Then he turns to Brienne, his serious face back. "King Jaime showed to be a good man when I went to King's Landing. If this is really what you want, you have your reprieve. And, if it's your wish, I'll talk to Sansa to get you released from your vows. Our House should not get in the way of your marriage."</p><p>This is going way better than expected. She smiles at the Stark.s "I… Thank you, Your Grace. It is most generous of you."</p><p>Jon smiles at her. It is small, but it's more than she's ever seen of him. "Go be happy, Lady Brienne. Gods know you deserve it."</p><hr/><p>She is hesitant to share a cabin with Alysanne when they board on the ship to King's Landing, but she can't say no when her future daughter is asking with puppy eyes. Not that they <em>share</em> much in the end.</p><p>Ever since they made their betrothal official, Jaime is seemingly unable to get his hand(s) off her. Granted, they don't actually bed each other—he claims he doesn't want to risk her father's wrath by taking her maidenhead 'again'—but it sets her on fire anyway. His arms always find a way around her waist, he's always placing a peck on her cheeks or her lips, and in all remaining meetings he sits on her right just so he can hold her hand.</p><p>And that is what he does in public. Whenever they get time for themselves… it's sufficient to say he's done pretty much everything he can without breaking her maidenhead. It leaves her all but begging for more and wondering how things were the first time—after all, there is concrete proof they bedded for real in another timeline.</p><p>As such, it is no surprise that he keeps finding ways to sneak her inside his own cabin during their trip. However, since he is not used to traveling by sea <em>at all</em>, he rarely is up to more… exciting activities as he was in Dragonstone, and they usually settle for kisses and cuddles. She always ends up falling asleep on his bed.</p><p>On their third night, she wakes up to Jaime's whimpering. She turns to see his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. <em>He's having a nightmare</em>, she realizes. She shakes his shoulder gently. "Jaime, wake up, wake up, it's just a bad dream."</p><p>She has to repeat the action and her words a couple times before he opens his eyes, and it takes a few moments for him to fully wake. "Brienne?", he whispers, sounding broken.</p><p>"I'm here", she replies softly.</p><p>In no time he tackles her in bed and rests on top of her, nuzzling his nose on her neck. Slowly, she circles her arms around him and places a comforting hand on the back of his head. Several moments go by, and just when she thinks he's fallen back asleep, he whispers, "I need you to be honest with me."</p><p>The request startles her. "I've always been honest with you."</p><p>"I know, but… I don't want to risk you sugar-coating your next words." He inhales into her neck. "Don't you think I should be punished too? Or judged, at least?"</p><p>She frowns. "What did you dream of? I cannot help you without knowing where this comes from."</p><p>"Cersei", he supplies. "It… it began as a memory—the day I killed her. She was yelling at me, asking how I could betray her when we were two halves of one soul. Then, when I listed all the ways she betrayed me first, she—her dead self began to laugh at me.</p><p>"She said, 'And who followed my every order, regardless of honor? Whose hand pushed Bran Stark out of a window? Who killed their own cousin just to get back to me? Who threatened a toddler to come back to me? Face it, darling brother, it all began when <em>you</em> killed your precious Aerys instead of protecting your sweet princess Elia. You are just as hateful as you think I am, and if I'm to rot in the seven hells, I'll be waiting for you to join me.' Then her eyes turned blue, just like Alysanne's, and she choked me to death."</p><p>He lets out a sob, and hugs him tighter, waiting for him to continue. "I did all of those things, Brienne. You know them all already. Why do I get love and happiness while Cersei got loneliness and death? Why did Bran forgive me for crippling him, and why do people look up to me while my sister is considered a vile woman through all the realm?" He takes another deep breath. "I helped her become who she was in the end—when I laid with her and fathered her children, when I supported her every scheme, or at least didn't voice opposition, when I saw nobody but us. I promised Alys I wouldn't die with Cersei, and I don't want to, but is it <em>fair</em> that I'm getting out of my sins unscathed?"</p><p><em>Oh, Jaime</em>. She gently moves his head so she can look into his eyes and then kisses the bridge of his nose. "Jaime, why did you kill Aerys?"</p><p>He blinks, but answers anyway. "Because he was going to burn the whole city down and ordered me to kill my own father."</p><p>She knows that already—she knows most of his next answers already—but he needs to hear himself say them. "Why did you not protect Elia?"</p><p>"They—I was busy killing Aerys at the time Clegane got to her."</p><p>"Why did you push Bran?"</p><p>He squeezes his eyes shut. "I feared he'd tell his parents and condemn Cersei and our children to death."</p><p><em>You didn't even think of yourself, did you?</em> "Why did you kill your cousin?"</p><p>"I was desperate to get back to Cersei and saw no other way." At that, he opens his eyes.</p><p>She buries her hand in his hair. "Why did you threaten a toddler?"</p><p>"I was trying to get Edmure Tully to surrender the castle without bloodshed."</p><p><em>Oh, that was for me.</em> "It seems you've done all of this out of love", she tells him softly. "It doesn't make your actions good, no, but it shows you can do the right thing when motivated by love for the right people." She kisses his brow. "Why did you get your hand cut off?"</p><p>He relaxes above her. "To save you from rape."</p><p>"Why did you tell me about Aerys?"</p><p>"I wanted you to trust me."</p><p>"Why did you save me from the bear?"</p><p>"I dreamed of you."</p><p>"Why did you equip me to go search for Sansa, against your family's—your sister's—goals?"</p><p>"We've sworn to Lady Stark, and then I repeated that vow to you. I couldn't bring myself to break another oath."</p><p>"Why did you try so hard to take Riverrun without bloodshed, even restorting to threats?"</p><p>"Because you asked, and you were inside the castle."</p><p>"And why did it matter to you that I asked?"</p><p>"Because I was already in love with you back then." It's his turn to kiss her forehead. "I've been acting out of love for you since Harrenhal, even if I didn't realize that."</p><p>She smiles, even though he probably can't see it well. "See what I mean? You've done dishonorable things because the woman you loved back then demanded them from you. As you said in Dragonstone, I'd <em>never</em> do that. The worst thing you've done for me was threaten a baby, and you didn't carry it through."</p><p>"But I would have", he replies immediately, anguish in his voice. "If he hadn't done as I said, I would have."</p><p>"You can't say that for sure", she reminds him, "because you never had to actually face that decision. Just like you can't claim your other self's actions for yourself, you can't feel guilty over a bad decision you never actually made."</p><p>A short silence, and then, "But how does that make me different from Cersei?"</p><p>"Did she blow up the Sept of Baelor out of love for you or anyone else?"</p><p>He shakes his head, brushing his nose against hers. "No, she did it to evade punishment by the Faith."</p><p>"Did she condemn her son as a traitor out of love?"</p><p>"No… I don't think she loved Tommen that much in the end. Not when he went against her."</p><p>"So she only loved her children as long as they followed her? She only loved <em>you</em> as long as you followed her?"</p><p>He raises his hand to cup her cheek. "She loved me when I was her mirror image", he replies, pain in his voice. "As soon as I lost my hand, I lost her love. She sought after me only when she needed me for something."</p><p>She grabs his hand to kiss its palm. "Can't you see what makes you two different? Cersei wanted <em>power</em>. I can't say whether she's always been like this or if she became so with time, but that's the sister you had in the end. You made efforts to become a better man and you <em>regret your sins</em>. Can you say the same about her? I don't think you can."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"<em>That's</em> why you get love and happiness while she got loneliness and death. She drew everyone who cared for her apart, sometimes to death. Your crimes were committed because you wanted to either protect or go back to your loved ones, while <em>her</em> crimes came from selfish ambitions, without any care for others—not even for you. If she is indeed waiting for you in one of the seven hells to rot alongside her, she's in for disappointment, because you are on the path to change your destination to one of the seven <em>heavens</em> instead."</p><p>Perhaps Brienne is the only one—or one of the very few—who thinks that. Perhaps she is biased, and her feelings don't allow her to give the honesty he's asked for. But this is <em>her </em>truth, and she doesn't want him to think differently even for a moment. "I love you, Jaime", she says finally. "And I'd rather have you living on to redeem yourself than dying in a foolish notion that it's what you're due. And don't you think <em>I</em> deserve to be with the man I love?"</p><p>He answers with a kiss on her lips, passionate and tender at the same time. "I don't think I deserve you", he whispers, "but if I'm what you want, I will take this chance."</p><p>"Good", she replies, her lips brushing against his. "Then stop with this nonsense and kiss me again."</p><p>He happily obeys.</p><hr/><p>She nearly trips on her feet when Alysanne reveals who Jaime left in charge of the Red Keep. "<em>Bronn</em>?"</p><p>He raises his arms defensively. "What is wrong with him? The man wants a castle, I've given him temporary hold of the most important castle of all!"</p><p>She rolls her eyes, but decides to not reply to that. Jaime is the one who knows Bronn the best; if he trusts him not to dismantle the Red Keep, who is she to question his judgement?</p><p>The soldiers—Golden or crimson cloaks—greet them solemnly as they go through the streets of King's Landing to the Red Keep. Distantly, she catches sight of where the ruins of the sept are. Her heart squeezes at the memory of Queen Margaery, who has always treated her kindly, and the thought of the terrible end she met that day.</p><p>Bronn greets them with the cocky smirk she's coming to assume to be his standard expression. "Hey ya, <em>Your Grace</em>. Finished your job with the throne while you were away. Wanna see it?"</p><p>Brienne turns to him abruptly. "What does he mean by that?"</p><p>It's the sellsword who answers. "Oh, hello, my lady. Are ya here to finally fuck this royal ass? Let me tell ya, he thinks we don't notice it, but he moons over ya day and night." Without waiting for any sort of reply, he turns to Alysanne and eyes her up and down. "I should've realized it sooner. You're their daughter from the future, huh. Good to know there comes a time when they <em>finally</em> fuck."</p><p>"Enough, Bronn", Jaime snaps, clearly exasperated. "Just show us what you did to the throne already."</p><p>"So impatient. I was just greeting your ladies. But c'mon."</p><p>Brienne is still wondering what they are talking about when they reach the throne room… to find no throne there. "Where is the Iron Throne?", she asks.</p><p>Alysanne giggles, and Jaime sighs. "I only wanted to take the swords made either of dragonglass or Valyrian steel", he says, either to her or to Bronn; she's not sure. "Not <em>all</em> of them."</p><p>"You told us you wanted to evacuate the city because of the wildfire", Bronn replies. "If the throne was gonna be burnt, why waste so many swords?"</p><p>"He has a point", her daughter comments.</p><p>Jaime nods. "It's too late anyway", he adds. "Well, now that I'm back, we have many things to discuss. Call the other commanders."</p><hr/><p>Jaime wasn't kidding when he said he already had evacuation plans in the making. Apparently, the citizens were already informed the city was no longer safe to stay in—regardless of the plan against the White Walkers, the presence of wildfire alone was a risk to everyone's lives—and groups were already being sorted out. The only changes were regarding where to send them.</p><p>"My betrothed has offered her home island for a portion of citizens", he announced, way too smugly for the occasion. "We are going to Tarth soon in order to take measure of how many people we can place. Daenerys Targaryen has also offered Dragonstone, but I'd rather leave it for Duskendale citizens. Olenna Tyrell and Arianne Martell also offered their homes, and I believe it will be best to spread the people around as many places as possible."</p><p>They decide to send the elders to the Reach, since it's closer and the journey can be done entirely through roads. Orphan kids will be sent to Dorne, as per Princess Arianne's suggestion—she'd told them there is a big area in Sunspear where children of all births play together. Small families are to be sent to Tarth and Driftmark—an island in the crownlands ruled by House Velaryon, who offered their home to crownlanders—while big ones will go to the West, along with lonely grown ups.</p><p>At the end of the day, Jaime sends the Gold Cloaks to call the elders to spend the night inside the castle, for they'd be the first group to be evacuated. Alysanne leaves the meeting with a strange expression—not that she can consider herself an expert on reading her.</p><p>"Are you alright?", she asks her.</p><p>She blinks. "It's just…" She shakes her head. "It's happening. It's real. We've talked and talked over these last moons, but now we're taking real action. It's—I almost forgot what it was like."</p><p>Brienne places a hand on her shoulder. They are alone in the corridor. "Have you gone through this before?"</p><p>"Sort of… Bran ordered an evacuation too, but mostly to Dorne and Essos, and there were significantly fewer people to send away."</p><p>"Because the city had been destroyed years before", she supplies.</p><p>"Exactly. We tried to rebuild, but only half of it was liveable by the time we left." She sniffs. "I… I don't know why I'm still here, though."</p><p>She frowns. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Another sniff. "The Children of the Forest told me that, when it was certain that the changes I've made would lead us to successfully defeat the Night Queen, I'd be transported back to my time, but with the changes made." She looks away. "All sovereigns are united against the undead, we have a plan to stop the Night King with minimal losses, and I've told them all I know about the Night Queen. How can I still possibly be useful here?"</p><p>"Don't say that", she replies instantly, going for a hug. "We all still need you."</p><p>Then, to her surprise, Alysanne begins to cry, shakingly sobbing against her shoulder. Brienne runs soothing circles around her back, trying to think of something to say. After some time, her daughter speaks up again. "I—I don't know why I'm crying."</p><p>"You must be tired of fighting", she offers. "It's not shameful to cry for that."</p><p>But she shakes her head. "It's not—I'm not ashamed. But it's been years since I last cried, even if—I didn't even cry when <em>you</em> died, Mother, and I—I <em>held you</em> as you passed away. Why—why am I crying now?"</p><p>There is a possible explanation for that, so she asks, "Is your moon blood near to come?"</p><p>Alysanne tenses up and breaks their hug. Her eyes are wide. "I… I don't know. It's been—I haven't bled in months. Not since I crossed the Narrow Sea to get to the Children."</p><p>By her rushed estimate, that would be nearly a year. "Really?"</p><p>"Really", she insists. "I remember you didn't bleed either. My… I never bled normally, to be honest. I only flowered at 17—it's one of the reasons talks of betrothals were postponed—and by then we were already fighting. I'd spend months and months without a single moon blood dripping, and so would you—and most women who survived the first year of war. So… I never knew what it was like to bleed like any other woman. I… I don't know what's supposed to happen beyond… the bleeding."</p><p>Her heart breaks a little upon hearing these words. It seems that, as good as mother as she apparently had been, they missed opportunities for ordinary mother-daughter moments. Brienne herself never had a talk with her own mother—feminine subjects fell on her septa's hands, and the less said about Septa Roelle the better—but even she knows a mother is supposed to guide her daughter through womanhood. But womanhood, for Alysanne, was seemingly ignored in favor of survival. "Well, then I suppose a long talk is due."</p><p>Her daughter raises her head and smiles. Even through her tears and her unsettling eyes, she can see something akin to joy in her face. "I suppose so, too."</p><hr/><p>They sail to Tarth two days later. On the ship, Jaime voices his intention to present himself to her father and wed her there. "If that's what you wish, of course", he adds.</p><p>She frowns. "I thought you'd like to have the wedding in King's Landing, where most people you know are."</p><p>His eyes get so wide, she fears they'll pop out of his head. "Are you crazy? I'm king there, in case you forgot. They'll want to turn our wedding into a giant spectacle to appease the soon-to-be refugees. I'd rather have a small but intimate ceremony… and I thought you'd want the same."</p><p>She hadn't thought of the implications of <em>King</em> Jaime getting married in the very place he rules from. "That's exactly what I want, too. I'm glad you thought of it… my father will certainly be pleased."</p><p>This voyage goes pretty much like the last one—Brienne officially sharing a cabin with her daughter, but sleeping with Jaime every night. Her betrothed still doesn't fare well on the sea, and more often than not she has to help him through nausea and vomit. "Just like old times, huh", he teases weakly after losing his entire lunch once.</p><p>"I dare say the conditions are slightly better this time", she replies with a tiny smile.</p><p>"Tremendously so", he agrees. "We're not captives, I'm not begging for the Stranger to take me, you love me and I'm not pretending I feel anything other than hate for you."</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>He chuckles. "I won't say I loved you already, but I had grown long past hating or despising you." At that, she kisses his forehead and leads him to the bath.</p><p>On another day, she finally asks Alysanne what her original eye color was. "I bet it was sapphire blue", Jaime says before she can reply.</p><p>Their daughter hums before answering, "Yes and no. I… I took after both of you. And Uncle."</p><p>He tilts his head, frowning. "What you mean—oh. You had mismatched eyes like Tyrion."</p><p>She nods. "My right eye was identical to mother's, and my left eye, according to everyone who knew you, was identical to yours."</p><p>Later, when they are alone, he tells her it is a good thing their daughter got such a unique feature, because they will know it's her when she is born right away. She just laughs, delighted that he is so eager to bring baby Alysanne to the world.</p><p>"And siblings", he adds when she tells him that. "Don't forget her siblings. What do you think of… nine?"</p><p>"If <em>you</em> carry them inside you, then I'm fine", she retorts, although she can't bring herself to sound upset.</p><p>"If I could help, I would." He kisses her on the lips. "Alas, I can only help you <em>make</em> them. Maybe hold your hand while you give birth, if you don't kick me out of the birth chamber."</p><p>"I make no promises." It's her turn to kiss him. "And we're getting ahead of ourselves."</p><p>"I've been getting ahead of myself for a while now."</p><hr/><p>Her father is—to say the least—confused when she introduces Jaime as her betrothed. "I know you know each other", he says, slowly, more to himself than to her. "I've heard about a… <em>trip</em> in the riverlands, and I once got a letter from him saying you were alive and well in King's Landing."</p><p>She immediately glances at Jaime. "I never told you?", he asks sheepishly.</p><p>"No", she replies dryly, then looks back at her father, gesturing for him to continue.</p><p>Lord Selwyn's fingers dance on his knees. "Most news I've gotten from you, my daughter, were from rumours from the mainland. Something about House Stark—"</p><p>"I'm Sansa and Arya Stark's sworn sword."</p><p>"—and then rumours of dead people coming to life."</p><p>"All true", Alysanne says. She's wearing her white cloak, and Brienne still hasn't figured if she wants her grandfather to know her identity. "I've seen it, and so have several others from all over the realm."</p><p>Her father blinks at her. "Beg your pardon, are you <em>Kingsguard</em>?"</p><p>Alysanne's nod is followed by Jaime briefly telling him the official version of the story of how they met—her backstory as a Lannister bastard raised in Braavos, who met Jaime by chance in Highgarden and taken to King's Landing at first to serve Cersei, but then sworn to him after the Lion Queen was executed.</p><p>"So it's true", Lord Selwyn lets out, almost in a whisper. "You finally stopped following your sister blindly. If you excuse me, what made you turn away from her?"</p><p>Jaime sighs. "She blew up the Sept of Baelor. I didn't want to believe it was her, until she admitted it with no remorse." She knows he's not telling the whole truth, but it's all her father needs to know.</p><p>The old man sighs. "Look, my child, if you truly want this man as your husband, I won't stop you—and I'm glad you want to wed here in your home. But I'd like to know more about your… history."</p><p>"Of course, Father. There is another thing, though. Ser Alysanne, would you please explain about the threat of the White Walkers? You can do it way better than me, I'm afraid."</p><p>Her daughter proceeds to give her grandfather the same stories she's told her, Jaime and the entirety of the assembly in Dragonstone. It goes for a long while, because she has to repeat and re-explain many things, but in the end Father seems to get the basics of the situation. "Of course we can take refugees", he says in the end. "I think we can comfortably host ten thousand. Twice the number if they don't mind less favorable sleep conditions."</p><p>"I'd rather send ten thousand", Jaime replies. "We don't have plans for rebuilding the city anytime soon; even if we did, it will take several years. Those people need a permanent home."</p><p>"You are right, yes. Let's discuss details over dinner. I don't know about you, but my stomach begs for food after so much talk of dead people."</p><hr/><p>Her wedding happens a sennight after her arrival. It is the time taken by one of the serving maids to make a more formal set of shirt and breeches for her to wear—she refused to wear a gown, and Jaime's memory of the only time he's seen her in one refrains him from even asking if she's sure she doesn't want it.</p><p>Her palms are all sweaty when her father comes to get her. Oathkeeper is at her right hip, which helps her feel a bit more confident. "Last chance to change your mind", her father tells her, though teasingly, implying he doesn't object to her choice of husband. These last few days showed him that Jaime is indeed a good man, and that his love for her is genuine.</p><p>"I'm proud of you", Father tells her as they walk to the small sept near Evenfall. "Truly. You've accomplished way more than I've ever dreamed of, and you never swayed from your moral code. You've turned into a wonderful woman, and now you're marrying for love. It's not something many nobles can boast of."</p><p>"I know", she replies quietly. She's aware of how lucky she is, to love and be loved in return, and to be able to marry her beloved.</p><p>The sept is decorated with lilies—no roses, per her request—and only half of it is full—many staff members have either left the island or died while she was away, so there aren't many familiar faces to fill the place—but she barely pays attention to any of it. Instead, she focuses on Jaime.</p><p>The moment they lock eyes, he gives her a radiant smile, and she feels blinded for a moment. As they approach the altar, she notices his eyes shine, and his whole body is relaxed.</p><p>He looks at her as if she's the most wonderful thing in the world. It makes her weak on her knees.</p><p>The ceremony itself passes on a blur. She feels her skin on fire at the points he touches upon placing his cloak on her, and her insides twist excitedly when he kisses her. She's never thought she'd say and hear the words, <em>I'm hers/his and she/he is mine, from this day until the end of our days</em>, but now this is her most important vow. She pledges herself to her husband, knowing fully well her commitment to him surpasses any oaths she's made prior to this one.</p><p>There is a small feast, in which Alysanne urges the newlyweds to dance. "Just—indulge your daughter, please", she insists, her cold eyes looking almost warm as she smiles.</p><p>And then comes the time for the bedding. Being wife to the King, Brienne is spared of the traditional strip that comes before, and so is the king himself. They simply stand up and walk to their assigned chambers hand in hand.</p><p>As soon as she locks the door, Jaime jumps on her, kissing her as if his life depends on it. "Finally", he whispers between kisses, "I can show you how much I adore you."</p><p>For a moment, she wonders what else he can do to show her the depth of his love. Hours later, she has answers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Jon III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jon is not having a good day.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, this chapter is more humorous, and I took the opportunity to throw some more shade at the show's plotting xD</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Alright", Arya tells Jon. "Now that everyone else has left Dragonstone, mind telling us <em>why</em> we're still here?" She frowns. "You are not fucking the Dragon Queen, are you?"</p><p>His eyes threaten to fall out of their orbs. "Gods, no! I may like women who can kick my ass, but dragons are where I draw the line." He sighs. "Speaking of dragons… Daenerys insists to have me try one of them."</p><p>She tilts her head. "Why?"</p><p>"Apparently, Ser Alysanne told her I rode a dragon in her world."</p><p>Arya blinks, taken aback. She quickly recovers, however. "Well, then, go ahead. I do hope you don't cross your dragon line if you succeed."</p><p>He laughs. "I don't think it's <em>me</em> she fancies anyway. Anyway, she's waiting for me outside."</p><p>Without waiting for a reply, he leaves the room they are in and heads outside. Daenerys has been asking for him to try out Rhaegal—the greenish one—since they came back from King's Landing, but Jon was hesitant to do so with so many people watching. Now that the entire Reach army is gone, as well as the many lords and ladies from all over Westeros, he feels more comfortable.</p><p>The Dragon Queen's excited demeanor upon his arrival at the beach makes her look considerably younger—how old <em>is</em> she, anyway? He makes a mental note to find out later. He guesses she must be around his own age.</p><p>"Okay, how do I do it?", he asks once they are close enough to hear each other without shouting.</p><p>"You grab his scales and pull him up", she explains matter-of-factly, as if it is obvious.</p><p>"Isn't there any sort of verbal command?"</p><p>"Only when you want them to fire at something or someone." Then, she wisely goes to his ear. "It's <em>dracarys</em>."</p><p>As she moves away from him, he nods, although he's just as anxious as before—perhaps more, now that he knows there are no clear instructions on how to do this. "How do I know he will accept me?"</p><p>She looks at him as if he hit his head hard on the castle walls. "If you don't get on fire, it means he likes you."</p><p>
  <em>Was I supposed to know that? I'm not a Targaryen, damn it! I wasn't born knowing this!</em>
</p><p>She offers his hand, and he takes it; then she guides him to Rhaegal. "Go, I'll be right behind you if you slip. I can help with <em>that</em>, at least."</p><p>Slowly, he climbs up. Aside from at least three near-slips, the dragon doesn't seem to mind him at all. Then, he tentatively grabs the scales and, praying to the old gods and the new—and to the Lord of Light as well, for good measure—pulls them up.</p><p>It happens faster than he expected: suddenly Rhaegal is no longer lying on the ground, but <em>flying</em>. He goes up and up, and up, and up… Until Dragonstone is nothing but a small dot. It's when Jon realizes he's still pulling the scales, meaning the dragon will probably fly up and up and up until they both die of either lack of air or excessive sun exposure. <em>Maybe I should push it down?</em></p><p>Fearing for his life, he does as his gut feeling tells him. Much to his relief, Rhaegal begins to go down, back to the beach. However, it is only when the dragon actually lands that he breathes peacefully again.</p><p>He doesn't really climb down—he's not proud to say, but he falls on his ass when he releases his grip from the scales. Daenerys is chuckling when she helps him up. "Congratulations, Jon Snow", she says. "You are officially a dragon rider!"</p><p>
  <em>...I don't want it.</em>
</p><hr/><p>After he's allowed some rest from the shocking experience that is riding a dragon for the first time, he is summoned by Arya. "Bran wants to speak with us", she tells him. "Us, and Tarly, and Daenerys."</p><p>"Why?", he asks, frowning. What does his brother have to say that could concern Sam and the Targaryen woman?</p><p>Arya shrugs. "He just says it's important. You know how he's been these days."</p><p>He sighs. "Well, let's get this over with."</p><p>He follows his sister to the castle's main solar. Bran, Sam and Daenerys are already there, sitting at a round table. He sits between Arya and Sam and nods at Bran.</p><p>"So", Bran begins, "I've spoken to Ser Alysanne while she was here. And… she told me a list of mistakes I've made in her timeline. I'm trying to prevent them from happening this time around too, which is why we are here."</p><p>Jon frowns again. "You don't sound much like… the Three-Eyed Raven you claim to be."</p><p>"I <em>am</em> the Three-Eyed Raven", he insists, "but… I'm trying to find balance between him and… human me. <em>Bran</em> me. I'm certain this will be awkward at first, but it's necessary. The Three-Eyed Raven alone cannot do the job." He then waves dismissively. "It's another matter, one that is not important right now. I called you all here to discuss… Jon's parentage."</p><p>Now <em>that's</em> something he wasn't expecting to hear at all. "You know who my mother is."</p><p>Bran nods, then blurts out, "Lyanna Stark."</p><p>What.</p><p>No.</p><p>Absolutely not.</p><p>It is not possible.</p><p>"Jon?", he vaguely hears a voice calling him. It sounds like Daenerys.</p><p>"You jest", he tells Bran. "I'm not an incest child! Do I look like a bloody <em>Targaryen</em>?"</p><p>Bran looks at him with furrowed brows, then blinks. His eyes go suddenly. "Wait <em>no</em>! It's not—it's not like <em>that</em>!" He massages his temples. "I shouldn't have led with that. No, Jon, we don't share a father. We're cousins, not siblings."</p><p>It's his turn to blink. "Oh", he says simply.</p><p>Across the table, Daenerys shrugs. "I was about to sympathize with you, but…"</p><p>"If Ned Stark is not my father, then who is he?"</p><p>Bran turns to Sam, as if the non-powered wannabe-maester knows the answer better than he does. Then again, his friend might be better able to <em>tell</em> the answer. "Er… well, I can't say I knew you were his son, but… Gilly found a paper in a forgotten archive in the Citadel—"</p><p>"Gilly?"</p><p>"Look, it's a long story, but she was there with me. Just… let me finish. The paper contained an annulment of Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell, and down below there was the registration of the wedding between him and Lyanna Stark. If Bran is staring at me, I suppose <em>he</em> is your father."</p><p>Jon fixes his gaze at his friend, unsure of what to say. Then Arya guffaws, which draws everyone's heads to her. "<em>I'm not a bloody Targaryen</em>", she says between laughs, in a poorly attempted impression of him. "Looks like that's <em>exactly </em>what you are!"</p><p>Daenerys' voice is the next he hears. "Wait, Jon Snow is my <em>nephew</em>?"</p><p>"Wait, you're my <em>aunt</em>?"</p><hr/><p>Admittedly, it takes nearly an hour for him to calm down. In his defense… his whole life was a lie! He's not Ned Stark's bastard—he's not even <em>a</em> bastard, period! He's a royal prince, and—</p><p>"Jon is the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne", Sam declares, "if we consider Robert's Rebellion an usurpation."</p><p>"Oh, you mean the Iron Throne that's been conveniently torn down and is set to be burnt down in wildfire soon?", he retorts. "I am heir to bloody <em>nothing</em>. Robert Baratheon took the throne by conquest and was recognized as king by the whole realm. That's why Daenerys over here is gathering support—she means to conquer back to her house." He turns to his <em>aunt</em>. "By the way, feel free to ignore this and continue on your quest. I'm overwhelmed with being King in the North as it is." He then turns to Bran, who is not his brother. "Are we sure this wedding happened?"</p><p>Bran nods. "They got married in the Isle of Faces, near the place Lyanna was last seen back then. They fell in love in Harrenhal and eloped."</p><p>"Oh, <em>that's it</em>?", Daenerys exclaims angrily. "My <em>beloved brother</em> fell in love with a woman promised to another, eloped with, annulled his previous marriage for <em>no reason</em> and <em>that's it</em>? No wonder Robert Baratheon started a war!"</p><p>"That's not Jaime Lannister's version of the facts", Jon reminds her, sounding way calmer than he's feeling.</p><p>"I know, but my father wouldn't have burned the Starks alive if they didn't go to the Red Keep demanding Lyanna back, and they wouldn't have done that if she and my brother had, I don't know… <em>told them where they were</em>?" She stands up, clearly agitated. "There is precedent for poligamy in House Targaryen! Why annul his first marriage? He bastardized his two other children! Rhaenys and Aegon died as what, Blackfyres? And Elia—what did she do to deserve this?"</p><p>Daenerys is absolutely right in every single point she makes, which makes him just as angry. "She's right!", he exclaims, standing up as well. "My parents met for, what, a sennight? And suddenly their love is worth running away and bastardizing other children?"</p><p>The two Targaryen keep screaming at their peers all their indignant questions regarding the matter, until Arya gets fed up and shouts at them to shut up, waving a dagger as if threatening them. Reluctantly, they sit down. Bran clears his throat and speaks up.</p><p>"Look, I don't read minds. I can't tell you for sure why Rhaegar and Lyanna did the things they did, the way they did. What I do know… Rhaegar came across a prophecy book, written by your own ancestor, Daenys the Dreamer." He then proceeds to explain all about a 'song of ice and fire' and the prophecy of a three-headed dragon, and how those two prophecies played parts in Targaryen—and Westeros'—history. He also tells them about the 'prince(ss) that was promised', which apparently is the Azor Ahai the Red Woman likes so much to talk about.</p><p>"Rhaegar believed himself to be said prince, due to the circumstances of his birth. However, as time went by, he changed his beliefs. He began to think he was to <em>bring</em> the promised prince—or princess—to the world. He also interpreted the three-headed dragon to be a set of three Targaryens, which is why he wanted three children of his own. He dreamed of an Aegon, a Rhaenys and a Visenya."</p><p>"Let me guess", Jon says dryly, "I was supposed to be Visenya."</p><p>"Exactly", Bran agrees. "Of course, your mother insisted on thinking of a male name, and he left her in the Tower with two name suggestions: Visenya if a girl, Aemon if a boy. So, your actual name is Aemon Targaryen."</p><p>"I refuse. I don't want it."</p><p>"It doesn't really matter what your name is. What matters is what your blood heritage means to your future—and to humanity. As we all saw today, you are a dragon rider. You wouldn't have been able to ride Rhaegal at first try if you weren't Targaryen." He sighs. "But you are not necessarily the promised prince, or Azor Ahai. The two prophecies are not necessarily speaking of the same thing, contrary to what most believe. In fact, Ser Alysanne believes they are different people.</p><p>"Rhaegar fell in love with Lyanna quickly because she thought she was the ice to his fire, and thus they had to unite in order to fulfill the prophecy. Lyanna was, essentially, desperate to escape her impending marriage to Robert Baratheon. It's hard to say if they <em>really</em> were in love, but it was what they told everyone who knew about them.</p><p>"About the annulment… I don't know what went through Rhaegar's head, or even how he got it so easily. Try as I might, whenever I get to the vision where he spoke to the septon, I can't make out the words. Regardless, I strongly believe he didn't want to be associated with the likes of Maegor the Cruel and Aegon the Unworthy—the two Targaryen kings who took multiple wives outside their house."</p><p>Well, that makes <em>some</em> sense. "I still think they were reckless", Daenerys says, and he nods in agreement.</p><p>"I'm not saying they weren't", Bran replies. "History speaks for itself."</p><p>"So why is my parentage so important? Aside from the dragon riding bit."</p><p>"You fit two prophecies regarding the Battle for the Dawn. You may be the promised prince, you may be Azor Ahai. If I'm to guess, I'd say you're the former. I had… dreams, these last few days, that make me suspicious that Azor Ahai has no Targaryen blood at all. But the thing is… there are many prophecies about the hero of the Long Night. It is possible that they all talk about the same person, or that each person fulfills a prophecy."</p><p>At that, Daenerys flinches. "The stallion that mounts the world", she mumbles. Then, louder, "It's the Dothraki prophecy; it says there would be a <em>khal</em> to bring all <em>khalasars </em>together. The <em>dosh khaleen</em> said my son would be it, but he was stillborn."</p><p>"Did they tell you that while you were pregnant with him?", Bran asks. She nods. "It's possible that they mistook you for him. Didn't you bring essentially all the Dothraki here?"</p><p>She nods slowly, realization dawning on her. "So, either I'm the promised <em>princess</em>, or your assumption that each prophecy speaks of a different person is the truth."</p><p>"You declare yourself a queen", Arya states. "If you are queen, Jon is your heir until you have children of your own, making <em>him</em> a prince. And Bran just said he believes neither of you are Azor Ahai, so…"</p><p>He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "This is way too complicated. Must we really rely on prophecies?"</p><p>"Maybe not <em>rely</em>", Bran replies. "Prophecies are too tricky to be <em>reliable</em>. But they serve as guides. It's one thing to bet all our hopes on one person, and another to bet it on teamwork. Also, we have someone <em>from the future</em> on our side. If Alysanne thinks prophecies are important in our fight against the White Walkers, we should at least interpret them right."</p><p>"He has a point", Sam declares. "It's hard to say if we're getting a prophecy right before it happens, but apparently we have an idea of what they <em>don't</em> mean, given things went so horribly wrong last time."</p><p>Silence falls. Finally, Daenerys stands up. "If that is all—"</p><p>"It was a lot already", Jon mumbles.</p><p>"—I must excuse myself. I told Lannister that Dragonstone would host Duskendale citizens. My council and I must evaluate the logistics of their coming."</p><p>Bran nods, and she leaves. Jon shakes his head. "I'll think more over this later", he announces. "For now, we must return to Winterfell. We must begin evacuation <em>before </em>Daenerys and Jaime."</p><p>"<em>Finally</em>", Arya replies. "Lead the way, <em>Aemon Targaryen</em>."</p><p>He groans in response, and both of his <em>cousins</em> laugh at him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We have some character conflict coming up! The Lannister-Tarth family honeymoon phase won't last forever...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Jaime VIII</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Jaime receives news from the North and reacts accordingly, he sees a new side of his daughter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The letter from Winterfell arrives shortly after the last group of citizens leaves the city. <em>The Wall has fallen</em>, it says. <em>Just as predicted, the Night King used an ice dragon. The survivors say it flew back north afterwards, though.</em></p>
<p>"I don't know", Alys replies when he asks her why. "Hard to say when I wasn't there. Maybe it wasn't even the Night King riding, but one of the actual dragon riders of the Night Court."</p>
<p>"Does it matter?", Bronn asks. "The important thing is, the dragon ain't coming here."</p>
<p>The letter does not end there. <em>Last Hearth has thankfully been already evacuated, and so has Wintertown. We're leaving Winterfell as I write. Tormund will stay behind with a small garrison of Free Folk warriors; mostly archers. We received word from the Neck; House Reed is also sending a number of archers to Moat Cailin, for when the Night King's army crosses it. Jon is taking Bran and Arya to King's Landing in a few hours.</em></p>
<p>"Father sent archers to Harroway's Town as well", Brienne tells him. "Most soldiers are still in Tarth, though, waiting for our signal to go north."</p>
<p>"Great", he says. "Do we know where the Starks are going?"</p>
<p>"Sansa sent me a letter saying they were going to White Harbor", his wife replies. "She also sent her congratulations to both of us."</p>
<p>"And demanded you tell her the whole story when you meet again?", Alys asks with a grin.</p>
<p>Brienne blushes a bit. "She claims to be outraged that Arya got to witness 'my love story coming to life' instead of her."</p>
<p>Jaime laughs and plants a kiss on her cheek. "I suppose we looked cute together in Dragonstone." He then turns serious. "Well, now we must plan the city's defense. Bran and Arya will arrive any time now. With the evacuation, I forgot to form the group who will invade the city after it's burned down."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry", his friend Addam interrupts, "but why is Arya Stark coming along? I thought only her brother Bran was bait."</p>
<p>"She was the one to defeat the Night King in my world", Alys explains. "She has skills none of us has—"</p>
<p>"Didn't you say you got training with the Faceless Men?", Brienne asks, much to his own surprise.</p>
<p>"The very, <em>very</em> basics. Not enough to be qualified as one, let alone be as good as Arya. Anyway, her skillset is useful, and she's small and sneaky. The soldier who will follow her will clear the path for her to reach the Night King and kill him. How many dragonglass weapons do we have today?"</p>
<p>"Enough for a party of twenty men", Lord Westerling replies. "His Grace found one Valyrian Steel sword in the Iron Throne, as well as ten obsidian ones. We found another ten among our soldiers."</p>
<p>Jaime nods. "We also have four Valyrian steel swords among us. I can go with Widow's W—"</p>
<p>"Absolutely <em>not</em>", Alys cuts him. "Neither you or Brienne can go to the city. It's a risky mission, and you two are the very people we need alive for <em>afterwards</em>."</p>
<p>He turns to focus on her. "I'll have twenty soldiers with me", he reminds her, "and I survived just fine in your time, with many more wights to cut through than we'll have after the city burns down. You said it yourself."</p>
<p>"Even so, you cannot go. Say we get all wights burned—something we can't guarantee because we might not get all of them inside the city before it's burned—you will still have the White Walkers to fight in order to get to the Night King. Some of these twenty soldiers <em>will</em> die, and we can't afford to have you among the casualties."</p>
<p>He takes a step in her direction, tightening his grip on his sword. "So, you want me, the <em>king</em> of this damn realm, to stay behind while my men die?"</p>
<p>"YES", she shouts, startling him and everyone else in the room. Alys has <em>never</em> raised her voice before. "<em>That's exactly what I want!</em> I <em>won't</em> have you killed again, and I <em>won't watch you turn wight and fight you all over again</em>!" He wants to ask what <em>in the seven hells</em> she means with that, but she doesn't let him speak. "<em>I told you ten times over</em>, we need you in the battle against the <em>Night Queen</em>, not in this one! So <em>yes</em>, you <em>will</em> let your men fight for you, because a <em>smart king</em> knows when to not get in the field! Or are you the stupidest Lannister after all?"</p>
<p>It's his turn to get livid now. "You <em>won't</em> speak to me this way", he all but hisses at her. "I'm your <em>king</em> and, as you so delightfully confirmed to this whole damn army, <em>your future father</em>. You may joke, you may play, you may laugh with me, but you <em>will</em> treat me with respect!"</p>
<p>"I will treat you with respect when you treat <em>yourself</em> with respect first", she retorts, not unfazed at all by his outburst. Her eyes never looked so cold as they do now. "You <em>promised</em> not to run to your death, and now you insist on going on a battle that <em>doesn't need you</em>! Do your promises mean so little?"</p>
<p>"Well, I <em>killed my king</em>, didn't I?", he spats. "And just recently I executed my own sister and queen. What does that tell you?"</p>
<p>For a moment, she looks ready to attack him, and he feels his heart squeeze. He has no wish to fight his own daughter, and he knows she will best him again if it comes to that. But it seems that Alys wants to fight him only with words this time. "That you are <em>an oathbreaker</em>—"</p>
<p>"That's enough", Brienne cuts her. Her voice tone reminds him of their first days on the road, back when they hated each other. "You won't refer to your father like that, Alysanne, no matter how angry you are with him." She walks to their daughter and grabs her arm. "I think you should not stay for this meeting."</p>
<p>"You <em>need me here</em>", Alys replies, still angry, though slightly less? He can't be sure. "You said so yourself."</p>
<p>"And <em>you</em> said this strategy was never adopted in your world, so it's not like you have memories to guide us step by step."</p>
<p>"Oh, so now I'm only useful when I remember stuff?"</p>
<p>Of course not!", Brienne is raising her voice too now. "But you <em>can't help us like this</em>! Go. To. Your. Room."</p>
<p>"You don't get to tell me what to do! <em>You're not my mother</em>! My mother <em>died in my arms</em>!"</p>
<p>"Yes, and if you don't want <em>me</em> to die <em>again</em>, you <em>will</em> go to your room!"</p>
<p>That makes Alysanne stop. She fixes her cold stare at Brienne, and for several moments, silence reigns in the room. Finally, she says, "Fine. But don't ask me to fight in this battle." And leaves.</p>
<p>Jaime releases a breath he didn't realize he was holding and looks at his wife. "What <em>was</em> this?"</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "If you don't know, Jaime, I know even less. I've never seen her like this."</p>
<p>"Neither have I."</p>
<p>Silence falls again, until Addam reminds them they have an attack to plan.</p>
<hr/>
<p>In the end, Bronn and Addam are to lead the attack, with eighteen soldiers behind them to help Arya. Jaime and Brienne stay out of it, in a unanimous decision. The commanders exit the room leaving the couple alone.</p>
<p>He cups Brienne's cheek and rests his forehead on hers. "Should we…?"</p>
<p>"I don't know", she replies to his unvoiced question. "I'm not a mother, Jaime. Not yet, at least."</p>
<p>"I should have an idea, shouldn't I? I've fathered three children, after all."</p>
<p>"You provided the seed", she reminds him, "but never acted as a <em>father </em>to them. Cersei never let you, remember?"</p>
<p>He sighs. "I just—she's never been like this, in all these months. I get that she's worried, but she never lashed out. She's always been so… cheerful. Optimistic. Even when she's serious, she speaks with hope."</p>
<p>She grabs his golden hand and takes it off. "Perhaps this is just a side of her we've never seen", she says in the meantime. "We haven't known her for long, and… Jaime, she's seen war and destruction. In her last years, death is all she's known. She said, more than once, that she was <em>the last human alive</em>." She caresses his stump, and his insides twist with longing. "Gods know what such a thing can do to someone's mind. She's strong, but we all have a breaking point."</p>
<p>He closes his eyes, focusing on the feel of her hand on his badly healed scars. "I do wonder", he says after a while, quietly, "what she meant by seeing me turn wight again. Has she told you anything about this?"</p>
<p>"No", she replies just as quietly.</p>
<p>"Should we go see her?"</p>
<p>"Perhaps."</p>
<p>"Then come with me. We can be clueless about parenting together."</p>
<p>She chuckles, and he feels her raise his stump and kiss it. Unable to help himself, he kisses her lips as soon as they are free. This, all of this, is all new to him: being a father, loving someone openly, being a husband… But, with Brienne at his side, he feels capable of doing anything—from battling the army of the dead to facing his daughter's wrath.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Alysanne is not in her room, but in the yards dueling with Bronn. He's seen the two sparring together before—after all, the sellsword is the only other two-handed swordsman around—but she seems extra vicious this time around. They see Bronn yielding twice before Jaime calls her.</p>
<p>"Fuckin' finally", he exclaims. "I like a fierce woman, but there are limits for everything." It's telling that Alys doesn't even chuckle, only smirks a bit, upon those words. "I'll leave the family alone."</p>
<p>Alys places the sword—he still can't tell the difference between Dark Sister and Blackfyre—back on her left hip. She's been seating them on her sides instead of her back since Dragonstone, for reasons unknown to him. "So", she says as she turns to them, "what do you want to talk about?"</p>
<p>He and Brienne exchange glances, and he clears his throat. "We won't take part of the attack against the Night King", he announces. "Bronn and Addam will lead it."</p>
<p>"Bronn told me", she replies dryly. "Good to know you still listen to me."</p>
<p>"We always do", Brienne tells her softly. "Look at all those changes happening <em>because</em> we listened to you. You can tell them better than us. Don't drive us apart because of one disagreement."</p>
<p>Alys narrows her eyes. "One disagreement could have been enough to get either of you killed."</p>
<p>"We know that", he replies, "which is why we listened to you once again." He takes a step closer. "C'mon, Alys, we shouldn't fight over this."</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "I will fight over anything that puts your lives at risk", she says firmly. "I—I fought your wight self once. In Casterly Rock… shortly before it was wiped out by an ice dragon. That's the only time I ever saw you back then. You—your face was barely recognizable, but you had your golden hand attached. Uncle Tyrion recognized Aunt Cersei too."</p>
<p>Oh. "What were you doing there?", he asks quietly.</p>
<p>"We wanted to go to the Iron Islands to escape the Night Queen. Perhaps sail into the Sunset Sea like Arya did. But… it was too late. Yara was on Lannisport's shore, saying the islands had been set ablaze. Uncle suggested we rested in the Rock for the night before going back to the capital." She looks down. "Yara and I got out, but he died there. I never found out which deceased Lannister killed him—I didn't want to know. We narrowly escaped the fire, and we almost fell off the rocks while running. I probably still have the bruises on my back to tell the tale."</p>
<p>He looks at Brienne again, unsure of how to answer to that revelation. "I can't go through all that again", Alys continues, her voice cracking. "If I'm forced to watch you die once more, I—I don't know what I'll do. I don't know if I can go on."</p>
<p>Before even he can realize what he's doing, he closes the distance between them and hugs her. "I promised you a better future", he whispers to her as he feels her shaking hands embrace him. "I will fulfill that promise. But we need to work together. No good can come of shouting contests and anger-fueled fights."</p>
<p>She sobs against his shoulder. "I'm sorry", she manages to stammer. "I—I didn't want to insult you, Father. You—you're a man of honor, I know that."</p>
<p>He feels warmth bubbling inside him. He remembers hearing those words from Brienne in Riverrun—oh, how he wanted to kiss her right then and there. He has no wish to kiss his own daughter, but the delight is there all the same. "Thank you", he replies, kissing the top of her head. "Let's get you to your chambers, Alys. You need rest."</p>
<p>She nods wordlessly, and lets herself be guided to her room. "We'll leave the city tomorrow", he warns her before closing the door. "Take the morning to pack your things, alright?"</p>
<p>"Alright", she whispers. "Good night."</p>
<p>He smiles. Brienne plants a kiss on her forehead, and the two leave for their own chambers. That night, they make love to each other slowly, whispering words of love and comfort the whole time, and fall asleep tangled around one another.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>On next: the fight in King's Landing! I'll probably split the POV between Bran and Arya, but I haven't decided it yet. Either way, it will take one single chapter; I don't want to take more time on it than necessary.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Bran II/Arya</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Battle of King's Landing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>BRAN</strong>
</p><p>Although the Three-Eyed Raven feels oddly calm, Bran is overwhelmed with the certainty that he <em>will die</em> any moment now.</p><p>"We should have come with Daenerys!", Arya shouts, voicing his exact thoughts.</p><p>"I know that!", Jon replies as he tries to guide his dragon, which does nothing to calm him down.</p><p>They've flown across half of Westeros in a day, and it should take only a few hours to reach King's Landing, where Jon is supposed to guard Bran on top of the Red Keep as Arya goes to meet the Lannister army outside the city gates. Needless to say, he doubts Jon will be able to complete his task smoothly.</p><p>His cousin tried to get Daenerys to come instead of him, but she refused, claiming she has no one to truly replace her in Dragonstone to coordinate evacuation and resettlements, while Jon has Sansa. The Dragon Queen is right, of course, but it doesn't make Bran feel any safer. Jon and Rhaegal are still getting used to one another, something that seemingly takes more time with someone who's only half-Targaryen rather than a fully-blooded one like Daenerys.</p><p>"Why do you think Valyrians practiced incest", she said when Jon complained, "and later our ancestors kept on the tradition?"</p><p>(It led to Arya asking whether the Lannister twins' children would have been able to ride lions. Bran carefully told her she is not nearly as funny as she deems herself to be.)</p><p>Finally, Jon shouts that he can see the Red Keep. Momentarily, Bran wonders how he recognizes the building, until he remembers his cousin visited King's Landing with his aunt back when he feared Ser Alysanne was a White Walker. Praying to the old gods for a safe landing, he closes his eyes as Jon guides the dragon down.</p><p>"You can open your eyes now, Bran", Arya tells him softly. "We're here."</p><p>He obeys her and realizes the dragon landed in front of a set of steps. "The Iron Throne was supposed to be there", Jon explains as he helps him down. "Clearly, King Jaime went overboard with drawing the swords out of it."</p><p>Arya jumps out of the dragon's back. "Now I get why you said you were not heir to the throne. Though I have to admit, digging useful swords out of that damn chair is a smart idea."</p><p>"He claimed to have found weapons made of dragonglass", he adds. "That's the first clue I got of Ser Alysanne's identity, now that I think about it. I was really shocked when he showed knowledge of the importance of dragonglass before we even met." He turns to Bran. "I was hoping to have you sit there, but I guess we'll have to find you another chair while we wait."</p><p>"We have to find many things while we wait", he replies, looking around. "It seems that King Jaime forgot we'd arrive several days before the Night King."</p><p>They all laugh at that. "I'll see what—or who—I can find", Arya offers. "If there is not enough, I'll go to wherever the army is and ask for provisions. We cannot afford to have either of you die of starvation."</p>
<hr/><p>As it turns out, King Jaime did leave provisions in the kitchens, and the chambers were left with clean sheets and linens for them to use. He's not entirely sure whether this was a deliberate move or just a happy coincidence, but he has more urgent matters to concern himself with—namely, track the Night King's army.</p><p>"They just raised everyone buried in the barrowlands", he tells Jon and Arya a couple days after their arrival. His sister is meant to stay until the dead reach Maidenpool, when then she will meet the army outside and warn them of the Night King's incoming arrival.</p><p>Then, a few days later, "The crannogmen did a number on them in the Neck, but they went through anyway." Not that they expected any differently; the small forces left along the Kingsroad are merely to give the undead the <em>impression</em> of a resistance.</p><p>Arya leaves them a day later, and Jon grows anxious at his side. "Shouldn't I be the one nervous here?", he tells him teasingly—or, at least, that's what he attempts to do.</p><p>Jon shakes his head; if he caught on his teasing, it doesn't show. "You're the one who can catch glimpses of the future. Can't you see anything?"</p><p>He sighs. "I see wildfire", he replies. "Nothing much beyond that. I have a blocker, remember? I can't see much beyond this battle."</p><p>Jon stares at the arm his mark is tattooed in, even though his long-sleeve shirt covers it. "Is there any way to get rid of it?"</p><p>"Ser Alysanne said I cut my arm off in her world. It lessened its effects, but did not annul them. I was thinking of having it cut afterwards anyway. Any improvement is better than nothing."</p><p>Jon's eyes go wide, but he doesn't reply to that. Bran wishes he could find a way to soothe his cousin, but not even his human side can come up with a solution. He does what he's best at, instead: track the Night King's advances.</p><p>It's in the middle of the night when the undead first break through the gates. He doesn't like to wake Jon up, but it's obviously necessary. "Jon", he says, shaking him. "It's time."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>ARYA</strong>
</p><p>She is woken up by Ser Alysanne. "Jon ignited the wildfire", she whispers. "Get ready."</p><p>The female knight offers her a waterskin, which she uses to wash her face to wake up faster. The moon is full and high above them, but most of the light comes from the stupidly high green flames in the distance.</p><p>The soldier group designed to infiltrate the soon-to-be ruined capital is camped near the southern entrance, in the middle of the kingswood. Ser Alysanne and her (future) parents stayed with them for coordination and morale. As she gets ready, she hears Jaime Lannister—<em>King Jaime</em>, as odd as it sounds—reminds everyone of their roles and the precautions they must take.</p><p>"If they attack, prefer to avoid their blades by moving your bodies, not by blocking the attacks with your swords and daggers. Dragonglass can shatter against their weapons, and you are only carrying three each. And <em>remember</em>, your goal is to clear the path for Lady Arya to reach the Night King, but if you are face to face with the asshole himself, <em>don't run</em>. Buy time for Arya to get to you, and avoid self-sacrifice if there is another way. One dead person is one dead body for the White Walkers to raise."</p><p>Looking up, she can see Rhaegal coming in their direction. It had been Jon's idea to take Bran to the gathering point of the army. If the Night King manages to run from the flames and go to the Three-Eyed Raven, he will be greeted by the forces of the living.</p><p>Hours pass by. Some end up falling back asleep after Ser Alysanne, King Jaime and Queen Brienne leave—they are not to engage in this specific battle. Arya climbs up a tree in order to see better if the Night King is approaching them, but the flames begin to die out without any sign of him.</p><p>The party marches quickly to the remaining city gates. Arya feels her heart thumping against her chest. Will they really find the Night King and his army inside? Or did he realize the trap and escape to another direction?</p><p>At her side, Lord Marbrand walks swiftly. She notices something shining at his hip, and her eyes fall to hilt. "Is this—Longclaw?"</p><p>He turns to her and nods. "King Jon said at least one person should have a more resistant weapon against the White Walkers. He doesn't agree with Ser Alysanne that all Valyrian steel swords should be spared for the war against the Night Queen's army… and she wasn't there anymore when he lent it to me."</p><p>At that, he smirks, and she finds herself smirking back. Then she looks ahead; there is barely a city gate left for them to enter—it's all ruins and wreckage and fallen bricks.</p><p>They go up and down through the dust and rubble. All is eerily quiet, save for the sounds of their own making. Her eyes travel around the zone, looking for anything like Jon, Bran and Ser Alysanne described: blue, skinny and tall creatures who have a human-like shape but otherwise don't seem human at all.</p><p>"Burned bones", Lord Marbrand says quietly. "The wildfire worked."</p><p>She nods, but any verbal reply is lost when she catches sight of a group of five silhouettes coming to them. She blinks; they are <em>blue</em>.</p><p>"Get behind us", Lord Marbrand whispers. "We'll lead the attack, and you'll slip through us."</p><p>She nods and slows her steps as the men quicken theirs. There are no battle cries, no shouting, only the sound of weapons clashing against one another. She looks around to see if there are any missing White Walkers to account for. When she finds none, she takes a deep breath and begins to run.</p><p>Choosing to circle the current battlefield instead of making her way through, Arya witnesses the battle from the corner of her eye as she tries not to trip over rubble. Each White Walker has two soldiers fighting against it, but they are strong enough to hold their own. Already she can see a couple men falling to the ground, though she can't tell whether they died or not.</p><p>And then she sees him. The Night King.</p><p>Like her, he decided to circle the area, but he's going to the other side. He looks slow in his steps, although whether this is his nature or a deliberate move, she doesn't know. Regardless, she begins to move to him, as silently as possible.</p><p>Despite holding her stare at him all the time, she often loses sight of him in the small (but tall) crowd. She still approaches him.</p><p>Before she can reach a distance from which she can safely throw a dagger to the back of his head, however, he turns to her and, holding a giant ice spear, walks in her direction in a faster pace than he had adopted previously.</p><p>Needle crashes against the spear, breaking instantly. She had expected this, of course, and used the brief pause to grab the spear and push it away from her, at the same time she throws her dagger at his chest.</p><p>The Night King grabs it by the hilt before it can pierce him, though, and throws it to the rubble. <em>Fuck!</em> Her only other weapon is made of dragonglass. What will she do now?</p><p>She feels something piercing through her butt. The ice spear. She jumps, leading to her body colliding with the Night King, who grabs her by the neck. He fucking <em>smirks</em> at her. <em>This is it</em>, she thinks distantly. <em>Death comes for me today.</em></p><p>She hears a roar, and suddenly she falls. The Night King stands before her still, but his arm has fallen to the ground. His other arm turns around and pierces through something—she looks up to see Marbrand being stabbed on his abdomen. He lets out a cry, letting Longclaw fall. She rises to grab it and, in one quick move, aims for the Night King's own abdomen.</p><p>The world goes still for a moment, and then the enemy <em>shatters</em>. As she falls again, she hears similar sounds coming from her side. She looks at its direction: there are no more White Walkers in sight. <em>We won, </em>is her last thought before darkness comes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Jon IV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They burn their dead, and the next steps are taken. Bran receives a vision that shakes them off.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There is a mention, though not graphic, of an amputation.<br/>There is also a sort-of correction. In Jon III we got a slightly different backstory for Rhaegar and Lyanna than the one Alysanne gave Jaime earlier in the story. This was done on purpose, and things will get cleared up here.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's been a long time since he last cried. In fact, he doesn't remember shedding a single tear after Ygritte's death. But how can he do anything but sob now?</p>
<p>Arya has always been his favorite sister; her change in status to cousin did not change that. She had a special place in his heart, and now was <em>gone</em>. Dead of massive blood loss due to an injury acquired while fighting the Night King. Yes, she killed him in the end; yes, they won. But Jon doesn't feel much like a winner.</p>
<p>As her pyre is lit up, he looks to the side. Bran also has tears running down his cheeks, although he doesn't sob like Jon does. <em>Would he be crying, had he stayed purely as the Three-Eyed Raven?</em> It's a pointless question, so he doesn't dwell on it. Instead, he looks around.</p>
<p>Jaime Lannister hangs his head low and holds his wife's hand. Lady—Queen—Brienne's chin is up, but her lips tremble. <em>Both swore to Lady Catelyn that they'd bring Sansa and Arya to safety</em>, he remembers. <em>Do they see her death as a personal failure?</em></p>
<p>He sighs. Lannister also lost a close friend, Addam Marbrand, who died helping Arya. Perhaps his grief has nothing to do with her. Does it matter? They all lost loved ones today.</p>
<p>Other two soldiers died as well, although Jon never learned their names. There is a small pyre for each of the four deceased heroes. Jon wished he could bring Arya to Winterfell, but he doesn't even know if the castle still stands—and he doubts the crypts are preserved after the Night King most likely rose the corpses inside. <em>If they still remain in some way, I'll have something built for Arya. A statue; she deserves it more than most Lords of Winterfell.</em></p>
<p>There is no speech in honor of the fallen; none of them are up for the task. Instead, when the fires die out, King Jaime assembles the remaining soldiers to decide their next steps. "We must ride North", he begins. "As discussed in Dragonstone, we must find the Night Queen before she finds us. If we begin our march North now, we'll arrive at the Wall—or whatever's left of it—in time to get ourselves used to the weather in order to go beyond it."</p>
<p>Jon nods. "I'll take Bran to Dragonstone. You wish to have your forearm cut off, right?"</p>
<p>"Yes", Bran replies. "We need any advantage we can get. I want to go to the Wall as well. My powers get stronger the further North I am."</p>
<p>Lannister nods and looks behind at Ser Alysanne. She sighs. "I'd rather have you stationed a little more south, but I've been told I can't get everything my way."</p>
<p>He sees her future parents grin at her words. Now he's curious to know what happened. "Do any of you want to come with us?"</p>
<p>"May I?", Alysanne asks. "I heard so much of dragons, I'd love to fly on one."</p>
<p>He nods. She says goodbye to King Jaime and Queen Brienne, and they help Bran climb on the dragon.</p>
<hr/>
<p>As Sam fetches materials and help to amputate Bran, he sits with Alysanne and Daenerys. "Ser", Daenerys begins, "I was wondering… Lord Bran told us about Rhaegar and Lyanna, and the rebellion. He told us the two of them fell in love, and my brother had his marriage annulled. He could not find out why, though. Do you know anything?"</p>
<p>Ser Alysanne frowns. "Clearly, this Bran has a long way to go before he can be the one I grew up with. Rhaegar and Lyanna didn't fall in love, per se. Do you know about the prophecies Rhaegar obsessed over?" They nod. "Rhaegar thought one of the heads of the dragon had to be born out of a Targaryen and a Stark, so he turned to Lyanna to make a proposal. I don't know how he convinced her—Bran never told me—but she went away willingly, fully aware of her task. Elia knew as well, and they had her blessing. All that was missing was actual communication. We always though them stupid for not warning Lyanna's family. Many things could have been prevented. But no, theirs was not a love story."</p>
<p>"But why annul his marriage to Elia then?", Jon asks.</p>
<p>"It wasn't Rhaegar's idea; it was a demand from the septon. Rhaegar tried to argue about the importance of what they were doing, and that there was precedent for poligamy in his family, but the septon had none of it. He planned on pledging to High Septon after everything was over, but he never got the chance."</p>
<p>Jon sighs and buries his face on his hands. On one hand, it's good to know his parents did not behave as lovestruck teenagers, and that he wasn't born out of a ridiculous love affair. On the other hand, it is a bit dull to see himself as a product of a calculated fuck. His parents laid together for practical reasons, with no romantic feelings between them.</p>
<p>"Well", Daenerys says after a while, "at least poor Elia wasn't wronged. She supported their affair, you say?"</p>
<p>"She thought a second marriage, especially one to a Stark, would bring strong alliances that would help Rhaegar depose his mad father. And she liked Lyanna. When they met in Harrenhal, they formed a kinship, one that was supposed to last through their joined lives in the Red Keep. She also studied the prophecies alongside her husband, so she believed in them as much as he did."</p>
<p>Sam chooses this moment to come back, Gilly right behind him. "We'll begin the amputation now", he announces. "Are you coming?"</p>
<p>He sees the women shaking their heads, but he stands up. He won't let his cousin, whom he grew up with as a brother, alone in such a moment.</p>
<p>When he gets inside the room, Bran is lying down on a table, much like he was when he found himself alive again. His eyes open when he approaches him. "Do you want me to hold you down?", Jon asks gently.</p>
<p>"It would be wise, I think", Bran replies. "I peeked into the moment King Jaime lost his hand; I doubt I'll stand quietly."</p>
<p>"I could give you milk of the poppy", Sam offers, and his tone implies this isn't the first time he does.</p>
<p>Bran shakes his head. "I want to test my abilities as soon as the amputation is done."</p>
<p>Jon doesn't think it really necessary, but who is he to question his all-seeing cousin? Instead, he positions himself behind Bran's head and pins his shoulders down. "Close your eyes", he advises. "You don't have to see it."</p>
<p>"I don't, do I?", he replies and obeys him. Jon follows his own advice and closes his eyes, having no wish to see the procedure.</p>
<p>For several moments, all is quiet. Then Bran screams, and Jon opens his eyes to hold him down more effectively. He shakes a little, waving his healthy arm into the air, but calms down quicker than expected. He looks down to see his eyes open, but completely white. <em>It's the look he gets when he has a vision</em>, he realizes.</p>
<p>Then his pupils come back, and he gasps. "The rest of the Wall is being burned down", he says, panting. "I—I don't know if I saw the future or the present. I think it was the present. The Night Queen's dragons are coming for us."</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh fuck.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>He all but runs to the room where he was with Daenerys and Alysanne. After calming down from his vision, Bran told him he had a suggestion for the third dragon rider. "Gendry Waters is Robert's bastard", he said. "Therefore, he has dragon blood. Weak, but present. He can bond with Viserion while you and Daenerys go ahead to the Wall."</p>
<p>Gendry has been found by Davos and brought to Dragonstone for weapon forging not too long ago, so all he has to do is actually convince him to try Viserion out. But this for after speaking to the Dragon Queen. "Bran just had a vision of the Wall burning entirely", he tells them without preamble. "He doesn't know if he saw the present or the future."</p>
<p>Alysanne's cold eyes widen. "Even if it's a future, it's a near one", she guesses. "If the Night Queen sensed her subject's death, she may change her strategy." She shakes her head. "I didn't think she would, but this timeline was too changed for me to rely completely on what I lived through."</p>
<p>He doesn't like her pessimistic words, but there is no time to waste dwelling on them. He turns to Daenerys. "Bran suggested you let Gendry bond with Viserion. We can fly to the Wall while he tries."</p>
<p>She nods. "He's in the forge, I think. Let's get him."</p>
<p>She stands up, and so does Alysanne. "I'll write to the places where the armies and the refugees are stationed. We must assemble as soon as possible."</p>
<p>He nods, and he and Daenerys leave the room.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Gendry is reluctant, not without reason. "My Targaryen ancestry is a bit too far behind", he reminds them. "It may not count anymore."</p>
<p>"But it may do", Daenerys argues. "Please. If it works, it's better than having Bran trying to control it."</p>
<p>He looks down and stays silent for a while. Then he raises his head back again. "It's what Arya would have wanted. I'll do it."</p>
<p>His words surprise Jon; although he has seen Gendry and Arya talk before they went to King's Landing, he didn't expect them to be so close that he'd mourn her. But if that's what convinces him… Again, they have no time to waste.</p>
<p>"Your Grace", he says, calling Daenerys. "Can you guide him while I take Rhaegal to the Wall? I want to see if it's already crumbled."</p>
<p>She nods. He bids them goodbye and runs to 'his' dragon. <em>If you are truly real, gods, please don't let Bran's vision be the present.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Interlude: Letters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As things go south (metaphorically and literally), urgent letters are exchanged.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter count updated because this interlude wasn't initially planned xD</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>To my dear Aunt Genna,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I write to you with bad news to deliver: the Wall has fallen down completely. As you are aware, from letters previously exchanged between us, the White Walkers are marching south of the Wall to exterminate humanity. The Night King has been dealt with, at the cost of people like Addam Marbrand and Arya Stark, but there are many more enemies to deal with.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I need a favor from you, aunt: burn all bodies you can find the Hall of Heroes. Have no pity or shame, for the White Walkers can (and will) raise those bodies to join their ranks. When they do it, you'll be their first targets.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Search for graveyards across Lannisport and order all western keeps to have their dead burned as well. If there is one bone left, it will be raised, and it won't be easily defeated. Tell them it's a royal command, if you think it'll help.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My best wishes,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your nephew, King Jaime Lannister.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To my sister Sansa,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I had to rewrite this at least twice, for my tears would damage the parchment. I regretfully inform you that our sister Arya has perished in the fight against the Night King. She died valiantly, but even I know this isn't enough to comfort you. It is barely enough to comfort me.</em>
</p><p><em>This is not the only bad news I have: the Wall has fallen. The Night Court's dragons were used to burn it down completely. Jon, Daenerys and Gendry are on their way to fight them</em>—<em>as Robert Baratheon's bastard, Gendry has bonded with Viserion enough to ride it, although I'm aiding him every now and then, even as I write this letter.</em></p><p>
  <em>Evacuate White Harbor and come to Dragonstone, Sansa. Take advantage of the ocean while it's not yet frozen, and take everyone who won't fight with you. Meanwhile, send the soldiers north, where the Wall used to be. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>My deepest apologies,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bran Stark, the Three-Eyed Raven</em>
</p><p>
  <em>P.S.: Would you please write to our cousin Robin Arryn? I need to focus on aiding Gendry.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Olenna Tyrell, Queen of Thorns,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is time, my lady. Bring your fleet and soldiers to Dragonstone. I write just before departing to the now fallen Wall, so we dragonriders can fight the Night Court's dragons. Afterwards, we will begin our march north to face the Night Queen. There is no time to waste.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For those who will remain, I ask to perform a rather thankless task: burn all of the dead buried in your crypts and graveyards. All corpses from the North and the riverlands were raised by the Night King on his way to King's Landing; we can't give the Night Queen more soldiers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My regards,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Queen Daenerys Targaryen</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Selwyn Tarth,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Father, please gather all the stormlanders you've managed to sway to your side. The Wall has fallen; it is time we march north. Also, tell those who will stay behind to burn all who are buried under crypts and graveyards.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'll be waiting for you in Dragonstone.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your daughter, Queen Brienne Lannister of Tarth</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Princess Arianne Martell,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Wall has fallen. It is time. Sail to Dragonstone while the oceans are not yet frozen.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My best wishes,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>King Jaime Lannister</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Yara and Theon Greyjoy,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please sail to Bear Island as soon as possible. The Wall has fallen down completely; our time to march north has come.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I cannot remember what are your customs regarding disposal of the dead, but, if there are any corpses buried across your islands, burn them. Otherwise, the Night Queen will add them to her numbers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>See you soon,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Queen Daenerys Targaryen</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To my cousin Robin,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know you have yet to recover the strength that has been robbed of you through your formative years, but I beg of you to lead your men north once again, now to face the threat of the undead. As I write, Queen Daenerys leads her dragons against the Night Court, with two newly discovered dragonriders alongside her. Sail to where once was Eastwatch while we still have liquid water to navigate on.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Also, whether you stay in the Vale or not, order whatever corpses buried to be burned. We do not need to raise the Night Queen's numbers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I regret to inform you that my sister Arya has perished in the fight in King's Landing. We must not let her efforts be in vain; we must all unite and fight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My best wishes,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lady Sansa of Winterfell</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To King Jaime Lannister, my nephew,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Consider it all done. I'm also sending our remaining soldiers to Dragonstone. I suppose all men are needed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yours,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lady Genna Lannister.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Queen Daenerys Targaryen,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The armies are on your way, and the dead are being burned as I write.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yours,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Olenna Tyrell</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Brienne, my starlight,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We're coming.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To King Jaime Lannister,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We're on our way.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>See you soon,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Princess Arianne Martell</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Queen Daenerys Targaryen,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We are departing to Bear Island at this very moment. Thankfully, we don't bury our dead; we let them sink into the ocean.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>See you soon,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yara Greyjoy</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To my cousin Sansa,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lord Royce will lead in my stead. I'll have the dead burned as you say.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My deepest condolences for Arya. I barely met her, but she shall be missed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My regards,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robin Arryn</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>To Dragonstone,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I write this hurriedly from Dreadfort, as we approach what used to be the Wall (luckily I found a raven lurking around). Everything is on fire. The undead dragons seem to be burning Last Hearth as I write; thank the gods we evacuated it when we did.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We may not come back. Bran, please, keep checking on us to update everyone.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My regards,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jon Snow, King in the North</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Gendry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gendry and Daenerys join Jon in the fight against the undead dragons.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last thing Gendry does before departing from Dragonstone is to give Ser Alysanne the dragonglass hook she commissioned. She motions to pay him, but he denies it. "I won't need coin where I'm going now", he explains. "Pay me when I'm back."</p><p>She looks about to protest, but in the end just bids him goodbye. But he has one question. "In your world, did Arya and I live?"</p><p>"You mean before the Third Long Night?", she asks for clarification. He nods. "Only you. Arya died in the sea a few years before. I'm sorry."</p><p>Well, at least she doesn't sugarcoat it. He thanks her for the information and rushes to Queen Daenerys' side. He had spent most of the previous day learning to get a hold on Viserion. According to Ser Alysanne, the dragon died before getting a proper rider, so they had to guess who could ride him. Bran Stark had been the one to suggest Gendry's name, since he was the closest they had to a third Targaryen.</p><p>He had seriously doubted his chances of success, but through the day his grip got better. Bran helped a bit, warging into the dragon, but the boy lord could not linger for too long inside its mind, so Gendry really had to learn the ropes. He still felt insecure, but it would <em>have</em> to be enough. They wasted too much time already.</p><p>He adjusts himself to the dragon's back and pulls its scales up, silently commanding it to fly. Viserion obeys, and soon Queen Daenerys follows with her own dragon. She quickly catches up to him and flies ahead, as they agreed previously that he'd follow her lead. He can almost feel the moment Bran wargs inside the dragon's mind, for it calms down enough for him to gain balance.</p><p>They fly across what he assumes to be the Vale, given the mountains and tall castles, but it's quick, and soon they reach a swampy area—the Neck? He thinks it's the Neck. Viserion suddenly grows agitated, and Gendry nearly slips out. "What's happening?", he shouts, but Queen Daenerys is too far away to hear him.</p><p>Then the dragon calms down—or rather, Bran calms it down, allowing Gendry to breathe and adjust his position. The following moments of reprieve drive his mind to the very subject he's been trying to avoid: Arya.</p><p>After several years apart, the two of them met when all heads of Great Houses (lords, ladies, kings, queen, princes, princesses, whatever) assembled in Dragonstone to talk about the threat of the White Walkers. Davos had insisted he attended, even though he stayed in the far corner. Admittedly, half of his attention went away when he spotted Arya in the crowd.</p><p>She looked so beautiful… very much unlike she did as Arry, but so uniquely <em>Arya</em> he could recognize her anywhere. Her confidence, once troubled by her immaturity, now shone across the whole room. It was a vision, and he knew he was lost.</p><p>Gendry had always loved Arya, in one way or another. Back when they met and traipsed together across the riverlands, it was a friendly love, the kind one would have for an adopted sibling. She was among the people he missed the most while away in hiding from the Red Woman—who, thankfully, barely spared him a glance when they met again—since she was one of the few who saw beyond his status and accepted him as a person. Now that she became a fully grown woman, though, his feelings changed for something way more romantic (and sexual).</p><p>He did not act upon his feelings, though, unaware if she felt the same and unable to read her expression. Granted, she explained to have been trained to, among other stuff, hide her feelings from even the most perceptive person, so it wasn't really his fault. Still, now he wishes he had at least tried to confess. Even if she rejected him, she'd have died knowing to be loved—not just by her family, but in the way a man loves a woman.</p><p>Viserion gets agitated once again, and he snaps out of his thoughts to tighten his grip on it. Raising his head, he catches sight of Drogon going down swiftly, which means it's landing, not falling. Determined to follow all of Queen Daenerys' moves, he propels Viserion down as well. It's a troubled landing, but he manages it. Soon he sees why the Dragon Queen made a stop: a small calvary is approaching them.</p><p>Gendry slips out of the dragon, falling butt down in the process, and runs to the Targaryen woman. "Who are they?"</p><p>"I couldn't see from up there", she replies, having gracefully gotten out of Drogon's back. "But they must be the wildlings under Jon's command who stayed in Winterfell."</p><p>A huge redhead with a red beard is the first to reach them. "You should not have stopped to see us", he says hurriedly. "Jon is fighting three dragons all by himself."</p><p>"Fuck", he mutters. Queen Daenerys gasps.</p><p>The man continues. "We saw them burning the Wall and a castle near it. I think it was Last Hearth, but it's hard to tell from even the highest Winterfell tower using a spyglass. Hurry, you two, and good luck."</p><p>"Go to White Harbor", Queen Daenerys suggests. "Lady Sansa is going from there to Dragonstone, but if you ride fast enough, you'll make it there before she leaves."</p><p>The redhead nods, and Gendry rushes back to Viserion. The dragon must be under Lord Bran's control, because it's remarkably easier to climb it and pull it up. He doesn't know where exactly in the North they are, but soon blue and red flames are visible.</p><p>King Jon's dragon is flying up high, aiming down at three blueish ones which are firing aimlessly around—or so he thinks, at least, until he comes closer and sees a castle burning up. It's not terribly big, and seems to have been built on an 'X' shape. He wishes he knew enough of geography to tell which castle it is, but no matter. He's pretty sure it's not Winterfell, at least.</p><p>Following Drogon, he pulls Viserion higher, until they reach Rhaegal. He hears Queen Daenerys scream, "What do we have here?"</p><p>Carefully, he flies closer to King Jon, who shouts in reply. "Three undead dragons, one rider each! They razed the Wall, Last Hearth and now Dreadfort! I'm trying to stop them from reaching Winterfell, but it's too much! Rhaegal is burned all over, I fear he won't make it!"</p><p>Queen Daenerys shifts and shouts, "<em>Dracarys</em>!"</p><p>He knows it's the command for the dragons to fire, but waits to see if Viserion still answers to its mother. After several moments, he realizes that no, it doesn't, and screams the command.</p><p>Everything is a blur after that. Red fire goes against blue fire, and undead dragons fly in their direction to directly harm them. Gendry narrowly escapes a few times and is hit another few more. He directs Viserion in whatever direction needed to protect it from further injuries, but he doesn't know where he's been unconsciously led to until he sees a large castle. <em>This one must be Winterfell</em>, he assumes, and adjusts his grip on the scale. He won't let Arya's home be burned down too.</p><p>However, it's easier said than done. A blue dragon successfully fires at the castle shortly after Rhaegal falls. King Jon manages to jump to Drogon and, although he nearly slips out, Queen Daenerys gets hold of him.</p><p>Gendry focuses on the dragon firing at Winterfell and guides Viserion to it. It's clumsy, but 'his' dragon manages to land a head hit on the undead one's back, leading to its fall in the flames. <em>One down, two to go.</em></p><p>He props Viserion up just in time to avoid a blue fireball. He feels Lord Bran taking back control as the dragon's flight goes more smoothly, and he finds himself looking directly at the undead dragon rider.</p><p>Soon it becomes a head fight between the dragons. Viserion lands and takes hits, screeching in pain and firing aimlessly. Despite their weak bond, Gendry can feel it growing weaker at each blow. <em>It won't make it</em>, he realizes. <em>I must get out of its back before it's too late.</em> He looks around, and there is nowhere to jump to. Drogon is far away, fighting the other dragon, and he's too up in the sky to survive the fall. He looks up again to the undead dragon fighting Viserion.</p><p><em>This. This, I can do.</em> He draws the dagger Lord Bran gave him. "Arya used it to defeat the Night King", he explained at the time. "I can no longer see the future, but if you have a chance to use it, you should." <em>And I will</em>, he thinks, certainty of what he must do dawning on him. <em>For Arya. For Ser Davos. For the living.</em></p><p>He jumps forward.</p><p>The rider instantly grabs him by the neck, squeezing it tight. Gendry's vision begins to blur, but he doesn't need to see to do what he must. Blindly, he pushes the dagger forward.</p><p>Something <em>shatters</em>, and his vision clears up again. He takes hold of the undead dragon's back just as it begins to fall. Turning his head, he sees Viserion falling as well. Closing his eyes, he lets his mind drift to Arya once again.</p><p>And then nothing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I appreciate any feedback on the fight scenes. I'm not good at writing those, especially in English :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Jaime IX</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the war against the dead advances, the survivors take a small break before striking again.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His new replacement for the lost hand is a dragonglass hook—a gift from his daughter. It's lighter than the golden hand—not that it's a hard achievement—and way more practical—again, not a hard task. The only downside are Tyrion's and Bronn's pirate jokes about it.</p><p>When he arrives, all three dragons are gone, each with a rider on them—Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow and Gendry Waters. "Bran suggested him right after his arm was cut off and he got a vision of undead dragons burning the Wall down", his daughter informs him.</p><p>After he writes letters to his aunt and Princess Arianne, all he can do is wait—it's all everyone can do. Bran is too busy warging in and out of Gendry's dragon to give them updates, but Alys notices the days following their departure growing slightly shorter.</p><p>He tries to ignore the apprehension settling in his gut by spending most of his time with his wife. "If we keep up like this", she says after their third lovemaking session in a row, one night, "baby Alysanne will come sooner than expected."</p><p>"I don't mind", he murmurs on her collarbone. "Do you?"</p><p>"I'd rather not have to fight while pregnant", she admits.</p><p>"Then I'll look for moon tea on the morrow", he replies easily, then goes for their fourth round.</p><p>It is the morning after when Jon and Daenerys come back, without Gendry. "He and Viserion perished in combat", Jon announces. When Alys asks why he's limping, he replies, "I injured my leg when I jumped off Rhaegal. We almost lost him too."</p><p>"And the undead?", he asks.</p><p>"One dragon and its rider shattered", Daenerys informs. "Another pair fell in flames, but we did not see them rising. The third flew back north, and Drogon refused to follow." She takes a deep breath. "Last Hearth, Dreadfort and Winterfell all burned down."</p><p>Bran already knew all of this, of course, so he's not entirely sad about the definite destruction of his ancestral home.</p><p>After the duo comes back, the days grow noticeably shorter. "This is happening sooner than in my world", Alys says, worried. "We must hurry before we are forced to fight completely in the dark."</p><p>"It might come to that regardless", Brienne warns her.</p><p>"Well, it can't", Alys snaps. "You think you can just carry torches to the fight?"</p><p>"No", he hears a voice behind them. He turns and is met with the red priestess he saw in his first visit to Dragonstone. "But we light up everyone's weapons, we'll have enough light."</p><p>Alysanne frowns. "I thought Lightbringer was a one-of-a-kind weapon."</p><p>"It is", she agrees, "but not just because it catches fire. If that was the case, Lord Beric would not have one." She gazes at the horizon. "The Queen is right", she says, startling Brienne with the reference to her official title. "The chances of us finding the Night Queen and fighting her before the Long Night establishes itself are dim. Our time and energy are better spent finding ways to provide alternate light for when we face her armies. I assume the eternal night is moonless?"</p><p>"In my world", Alys replies, "it was. Moonless and starless."</p><p>The red priestess—Melisandre?—nods solemnly. "I saw a pattern in the flames", she comments, as if talking about the weather. "We need three to defeat the Night Queen."</p><p>Alys' eyes go wide, showing off her coldly blue eyes even more, but Brienne steps in before she can speak up. "Three what?"</p><p>"I cannot be certain", she admits. "It was a repeated pattern. There was sacrifice too… but there always is, in battles like these. It didn't tell me much."</p><p>
  <em>Why are those flame visions so useless?</em>
</p><p>"Well, regardless of what you saw", Alys says, "I suppose you have a role anyway. Even if it's just to bring us light when the Long Night comes for good."</p><p>Melisandre nods, and their conversation is interrupted by Lady Sansa's arrival.</p><hr/><p>Daenerys announces she and Jon will just wait for Rhaegal to recover to go back north. "The undead dragons are our greatest threat", she states. "They burned three castles in a matter of hours, and it was lucky that they happened to be already evacuated ones. We cannot risk them approaching inhabited homes."</p><p>"We know for sure one dragon is gone", Jon adds, "but, since we don't know if fire is enough to kill a member of the Night Queen's court, we might still have to face two dragons. We'd rather have the men face the White Walkers without having to worry about being burned."</p><p>"Ideally, our armies will only march when we get back", Daenerys says. "In case it turns out to be impossible, one of us will head back to call for the men. We ask for two volunteers to come with us. The last battle showed us that having back up is better than going alone."</p><p>Ser Jorah is the first to offer himself, and the Dragon Queen smiles wide at him before accepting it. The two exchange glances that… well, he thinks it's as obvious and he and Brienne were.</p><p>To his horror, Alys offers herself, and Jon promptly agrees. "You cannot", he shouts.</p><p>His daughter raises her chin, as defiantly as her mother. "I can, and I will", she replies.</p><p>"If you die—"</p><p>"Make sure I'll be born again", she states matter-of-factly. "I'm bound to leave you someday. There can't be two Alysannes in this world."</p><p>He doesn't have an argument against that, so he just reaches for his wife's hand and holds it tightly. He may not have raised Alys, but his heart breaks at the thought of parting with her. However, she is right; unlike all the other times he said goodbye to someone, his to her, whenever it came, would not be forever.</p><hr/><p>Lady Sansa insists on holding a small feast in honor of his wedding to Brienne. "You all but eloped", she tells her—former—sworn sword. "As someone who was your liege lady until recently, I think I'm in my right to celebrate the one good thing to happen in the midst of this whole mess."</p><p>The grief in her eyes makes it all too easy for Brienne to concede, and Jaime is not keen on denying his wife anything. The feast ends up being larger than initially planned when the Ironborn arrive along with the Dornishmen. "Where is the Reach?", he wonders aloud.</p><p>Daenerys hears and answers him. "Their forces are the largest, remember? They take longer to cross the realm."</p><p>Princess Arianne, respectfully but cluelessly, proposes a toast for the king and queen, and Brienne turns into a lovely shade of Lannister red as she takes a sip of the wine the Martell ruler brought with her. He chuckles and kisses her cheek. "It will be over soon, my lady wife", he whispers. "When this is all over, we can retire to Casterly Rock, Tarth or wherever else you want, and we'll raise our children with no crown above our heads."</p><p>"Wherever else I want?", she asks. "What if I wish to live in a small cottage in the riverlands?"</p><p>"Then I only ask you for us to stay far away from the Twins", he replies easily. "That castle might be more cursed than Harrenhal at this point."</p><p>She laughs, genuinely laughs, and he can't resist kissing her again.</p><p>After a few drinks, he hears Daenerys asking gods know who, "Should I just go back to Meeren? People like me there…"</p><p>"<em>Khaleesi</em>", he hears a reply, and he knows it's Jorah Mormont because <em>nobody</em> <em>else</em> calls the Dragon Queen that. "People will learn to love you here as much as they love you in Meereen. You said you wanted to come back home, and here you are."</p><p>"No", she pouts, and he's pretty sure she's either drunk or halfway to it. "I'm in the place where I was <em>born</em>, but no memories come from here." He turns to glance at her, and she looks a bit deflated. "I have no home to call my own."</p><p>"Then make one", he says before he can stop himself. "Dragonstone is nobody's home at the moment, and it's been your family's since before the Conquest. Even if you give up your quest to become Queen of Seven Kingdoms, there is no reason for you not to stay here and make it your home", he inhales, "as you should have always been."</p><p>She blinks at him, startled. "How can you say that", she asks, not with anger but with surprise, "when you helped end my house's dynasty on the throne?"</p><p>"I told you once", he replies, "and I'll tell you again: my only problem was with your father, for reasons you already know. I cared for the rest of your entire family—your mother, your brothers, your goodsister, your niece and nephew. None of you deserved the fate you got."</p><p>She sighs and looks at her half-full cup of wine. "We'll have quite a mess to solve when this is all over, won't we?"</p><p>"Yes", he agrees. Having three monarchs around, with each zone of Westeros pledging itself to a different one, is no easy problem to solve. "But let's focus on staying alive to take care of it. I'd hate for the crown to fall on someone's lap out of lack of any other possible candidates."</p><p>To his surprise, she smiles, nods in agreement and turns back to Mormont. Oh well, time to turn back to his wife.</p><hr/><p>He wakes up to a loud knock on his chambers' door. He begrudgingly disentangles himself from Brienne, dresses up and opens it. "I assumed you'd want to say goodbye", his daughter says, not bothering with a greeting.</p><p>"Can you wait for your mother to wake up?"</p><p>"Yes, but not if you decide to… have <em>fun</em> before leaving the room."</p><p>He rolls his eyes at her and closes the door. "Brienne", he calls, kneeling before her. She blinks lazily at first, then alarmed when she sees him fully clothed. "Alys is leaving and wants to bid us goodbye."</p><p>"Oh", she lets out, and her rough voice makes his heart race. "I'll dress up in a moment."</p><p>And in a moment, indeed, she's as clothed as him, and he opens the door to give Alys a hug. "Try to make it back safe", he begs. "I'm not ready to lose you yet."</p><p>"I'll do my best", she replies, but it doesn't sound much like a promise.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There were at least three clues to the end of the story in this chapter. If you want to leave your guess in the comments... I just won't confirm or deny it publicly.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Jon V</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jon and Daenerys, with Alysanne and Jorah along, go to get rid of the last undead dragon - or dragons?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Today is double posting! This chapter and the next (Jaime X)<br/>As you can see, the chapter count went back to 24 instead of 25. This is because I finished writing, and what was supposed to be chapters 23 and 24 were merged into one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ser Alysanne, surprisingly, lends her swords to him and Daenerys. "If you are truly prophesied heroes", she explains, "you'll need these swords."</p><p>"Isn't Longclaw enough?", he asks.</p><p>She grins. "Should it not go back to its House?"</p><p>She makes an excellent point, so he passes Longclaw to Ser Jorah. As for herself, the white-cloaked knight grabs a Valyrian steel sword extricated from the Iron Throne before climbing up Rhaegal. "Have you ever rode a dragon?"</p><p>"Of course not", she replies. "Even if Drogon hadn't died long before I was grown up enough to ride, I don't have Targaryen blood for the job."</p><p>"I thought I had heard something about House Tarth having married into House Targaryen." He all but shouts as Rhaegal takes flight.</p><p>"A <em>long </em>time ago", she clarifies. "My Targaryen blood is little less than a drop, less than Gendry."</p><p>He hums, although he doubts she heard it, given how high they were. Familiar with the route to Winterfell, Jon doesn't need to follow anyone to get there. Rhaegal flies side by side with Drogon, and he's confident enough in his hold of the dragon that he even spares a glance at the other dragon rider.</p><p>His aunt looks peaceful, despite the situation they are in. Glancing a bit down, he can see a pair of arms around her—Mormont's obviously. <em>I hope they can find happiness after this is all over</em>. He overheard her talk to the Kingslayer the day before, and the quiet of the flight leaves room for his mind to ponder the subject. Is he going to stay King in the North if he survives this war? Should he bend the knee to either southern monarch?</p><p>Daenerys so far seems to be competent and just, but he's still wary of bowing to a foreigner. As much as he finds her and Ser Jorah a good match, the Mormont knight is still an outlaw in the eyes of the North—he's seen the way Lady Lyanna Mormont looks at her cousin. Even if the North accepts a Targaryen queen, he doubts they'd accept him as King Consort.</p><p>Then there is Jaime Lannister. His reputation for kingslaying and sisterfucking precedes him, making him hard to be accepted by the whole realm. Not to mention that his very last name is associated with many atrocities committed in the last war, even if he had no reported involvement in at least half of those. That aside, like Daenerys, he seems to be fair and effective. The truth of his kingslaying changed his views on the man, and so did the story of how he executed his former lover when she began to behave too much like the king he killed.</p><p>Besides, Jaime's wife is of good reputation—excellent, actually. Lady Brienne of Tarth is compared to great knights more often than not, and her loyalty to the Starks is unquestionable, even after she married a Lannister. The realm could easily accept her as Queen, and her husband's painfully obvious love for her could redeem him in people's eyes.</p><p>(However, there is also the fact that Lannister shows as much desire to keep his title as Jon.)</p><p>It is a tough decision, and yet he hopes to have to make it after this is all over. Like King Jaime said, better getting a headache trying to pick who will wear the crown than placing it on the head of the only claimant left.</p><p><em>All I know is that Bran will refuse it</em>, he thinks with amusement. His cousin had been crowned in Ser Alysanne's world, and both believe it was a mistake on the part of everyone involved. The lady knight could not say which of the three monarchs would be the best choice, upon being asked.</p><p>He's shaken out of his thoughts by a roar. "That's two of them!", Ser Alysanne shouts. He raises his head.</p><p>Oh fuck. The second dragon was not burned along with Winterfell.</p><hr/><p>Since Rhaegal is not <em>fully</em> recovered, Jon guides him to the clearly weakened undead dragon—and thank the gods the injuries caused by its fall into flames were not magically healed. The two dragons collide against each other, roaring and biting and hitting.</p><p>The dragon rider—the Night Queen's court member, her <em>horcrux</em>—stares at Jon with eyes even more unsettling than the ones of the knight behind him. He still remembers how Gendry defeated its ally, by jumping into the undead dragon and slaying it with Arya's dagger—lost in Winterfell's burned ruins. <em>Should I do the same?</em></p><p>If Ser Alysanne has the tiniest drop of Targaryen blood, she might be able to guide Rhaegal to catch him when the undead dragon falls. Regardless, she can at least grab him tightly; even if Rhaegal is not bound to her, he won't let her fall off.</p><p><em>Yes, I must do the same as Gendr</em>—his decision is interrupted by a thud. Before Jon can move, Ser Alysanne stands behind him, covering him as she draws her unnamed sword and charges. Only when he hears the clash he raises his eyes to see the dragonrider is before him, meeting the knight blow by blow, enhanced ice against enhanced steel.</p><p>Rhaegal roars and shakes. Jon cannot see what is happening beyond the Night Court member attacking, but he figures its dragon is going wide without its rider. <em>We'll all fall</em>, he realizes, <em>and while Ser Alysanne and I die, this creature won't. That's its plan!</em></p><p>He wants to shout for Ser Alysanne to stand down and hold on to Rhaegal's scales, but he cannot do that when the freaking ice demon can hear everything they say. <em>It must be a surprise attack</em>, he concludes.</p><p>He hears the lady knight slipping and grabs her ankle before she falls. She supports herself by crouching down and grabbing the scales, which pauses the fight. Perfect opportunity for the creature, but for Jon as well. He lunges forward with Blackfyre and aims for the chest—only for Rhaegal to screech in pain and lower his stance abruptly, leading to all of them losing their balance. The ice creature falls off.</p><p>"It won't die from the fall!", Ser Alysanne shouts. "We must follow it to the ground!"</p><p>"Tighten your grip on Rhaegal and help him fight the dragon", he instructs. "We're low enough that the fall won't hurt me." And then he jumps.</p><p>It is actually painful when he hits the ground, but not terribly so; he's used to greater pains. In front of him, the ice demon stands unscathed. In the blink of an eye, it's his turn to face it blow by blow, steel against steel, in a clash that almost reminds him of a song.</p><p>
  <em>A song of ice and fire! That's it, that's my prophecy!</em>
</p><p>Smirking, he lowers his sword, feigning tiredness. Just as the creature raises its own sword, he cuts its arm off, then goes to its neck.</p><p>It shatters.</p><p>Soon after, Ser Alysanne falls face flat on the ground on his left side. He rushes to her aid, and she vomits as he holds her hair up. Glancing up, he sees Rhaegal falling in circles, seemingly unconscious.</p><p>The moment he falls, Jon cannot help but scream. The pain invades him like he's burning from the inside, stronger than even the one he felt upon being stabbed. He only doesn't fall on his knee because there is someone needing his assistance, and for that he is grateful.</p><p>In his mind, there is no doubt: Rhaegal is dead, just like his brother Viserion.</p><hr/><p>He recovers around the same time Ser Alysanne finishes emptying her stomach, and together they watch the fight between Drogon and the last undead dragon, between Daenerys and the last dragonrider.</p><p>The black living dragon is larger and stronger than Rhaegal ever was, and his rider is way more skilled than Jon ever had the chance to be. As such, their duel is almost like a dance.</p><p>From down here, Jon sees the moment Drogon opens his mouth and engulfs the other dragon's head. Its remains fall, in a similar fashion to Rhaegal, and Daenerys seemingly guides Drogon to the ground. "We should help them", Jon tells Ser Alysanne, who nods and stands up.</p><p>However, as they approach Daenerys and Ser Jorah, they are already fighting—or rather, Mormont fights while Daenerys runs away, only to run back, jump on the creature and behead it with Dark Sister. "The stallion that mounts the world, y'all!", she shouts, almost a roar.</p><p>When it shatters, its fragments hit Jon right on his face. He closes his eyes instinctively, and he hears a groan behind him. He runs a hand through his face, to get rid of the shreds, and opens his eyes. At his side, Ser Alysanne pants heavily. "Can't we just… sit down on the snow for a bit? Getting some <em>rest</em> before we go back?"</p><p>As if in full agreement, Mormont lets himself fall flat on the ground, sighing. The lady knight follows him immediately. "I guess the request is already answered", Daenerys says, sitting next to Ser Jorah. Without another option, Jon sits between the two women.</p><p>"I'm sorry for Rhaegal", he blurts out. "You should not have to face this grief."</p><p>Daenerys turns her gaze for Mormont and gives him a sad smile. "I doubt it was the same as when I lost them in Ser Alysanne's world", she replies. "Viserion and Rhaegal fell valiantly in combat, defending humanity against its doom. If I recall correctly, it did not happen that way the first time around, right, Ser?"</p><p>The woman shakes her head. "Viserion was taken out by the Night King and used against the living in the battle, while Rhaegal was lost to negligence and gross miscalculations in the fight against Euron and Cersei."</p><p>"See? I mourn them, of course, but not in a… devastating way." The Dragon Queen looks up. "Besides, neither of them were my children any longer. In a way, I lost them when you and Gendry bonded with them. You <em>cried</em> in anguish when Rhaegal fell; I didn't feel such an impulse. Your grief must be stronger than mine, if I'm being honest with myself."</p><p>He gulps. The memory of feeling as if his soul was ripping off is still fresh in his mind. <em>Is this how it will feel if Ghost dies?</em> He shudders at the thought. <em>Have I felt this way when Rhaegal died the first time?</em> Ser Alysanne's story implies he wasn't riding him when Euron Greyjoy struck him with a scorpion, so perhaps they didn't truly bond.</p><p>His reverie is interrupted when he catches sight of Daenerys handing Dark Sister back to the lady knight. "I think it's rather clear I fulfill my part of the prophecies", she says gently. "As I won't jump into dragonriders anymore, this sword will be more useful in your hands."</p><p>"It is your House's ancestral sword", she argues.</p><p>"But <em>this</em> one isn't mine, is it? This world's Dark Sister lies around in a cave beyond the ruined Wall. When this is all over, I can send searching parties to retrieve it, but for now it should rest in more capable hands."</p><p>Ser Alysanne mumbles something under her breath, but accepts the sword back all the same. It compels Jon to give Blackfyre back to her. "I've seen you wielding it", he explains. "These two swords are almost extensions of your arms. In a battle like the one we'll soon face, this kind of skill must not be overlooked. Give me your unnamed sword."</p><p>"Oh, no", Ser Jorah interrupts. "Give <em>me</em> the unnamed sword for now." He grabs Longclaw and hands it to Jon. "As you said, better to find with weapons we are acquainted with. You've wielded my House's sword for years; you should wield it in this fight. You can give it back to me afterwards."</p><p>And this is how everyone ends up with roughly the same swords they carried before coming to this wasteland. After an hour of rest, Daenerys goes to Drogon and assesses the damages on him. "He can fly to Dragonstone carrying us", she announces, "but will need a great amount of rest after landing."</p><p>That being said, the four of them climb up the dragon and make their way back to Dragonstone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Jaime X</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The army of the living finally marches north. Jaime makes a decision long overdue, has heartfelt conversations and watches as the Long Night arrives.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Second chapter of today's double posting (the other being the previous one).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This time, all four warriors make it back alive, although without Jon's dragon. "Four Night Court members down", his daugther proclaims happily, "three to go, plus the Night Queen. Now we have more time to properly assemble and send our armies north."</p><p>"Not too long, though", Bran replies. "I may not be able to see things clearly, but the Army of the Dead is already in motion. They won't take years as they did last time, not with their forces so depleted."</p><p>Alys sighs. "I figured as much", she replies, her mirth dying out. "The Night Queen took two decades to attack because humanity had been too weakened to recover in time, and the extra years gave her strength and the element of surprise. She doesn't have either of those now, so it's better to strike now than wait and risk us getting stronger. After the Night King rose all the dead north of the Twins, she won't have much ammunition."</p><p>"Especially given we've burned most of our dead as well", Lord Yohn Royce, who came in Lord Robin Arryn's behalf, adds. "I suppose we are to march soon."</p><p>"Yes", he replies. "However, Queen Daenerys offered her armies to go ahead. They've been here in Dragonstone the longest out of all armies, so they are the most well rested group. Considering we are dealing with an enemy that doesn't stop to eat, drink, pee, piss or sleep, rest is a fundamental element in our victory."</p><p>"Getting used to the cold is crucial as well", his daughter adds. "Even though the Army of the Dead is coming sooner than it did in my world, they are slow. We'll have to go by foot, since I can't trust that the oceans won't freeze at this point, and the North is entirely covered in snow. It will tire the men a bit, but they will grow accustomed to the cold weather, making it less of a distraction when the battles come."</p><p>Princess Arianne offers her armies to march after Daenerys', explaining that Dorne is a place usually untouched by winter. Jon Snow argues against it, using the same reasoning to point out they need to get more appropriate attire for the cold. "We can all forego heavy armor", he states. "A well-made chainmail is enough against most wight attacks, and freedom of movement is more important."</p><p>After some discussion, Jaime's army—westerlands and crownlands—is the one picked to go second, followed by stormlanders, Dornishmen, Valemen, riverlanders, the North and the Reach. The Ironborn meant to go on foot are scattered across the other armies, since half of their forces will stay on ships spread across the current refuge points, ready to evacuate them at the first word of failure. "Bran will be taken to the Eyrie to stay with Lady Sansa and Lord Robin", Jon declares. "He will warg into Ghost, my direwolf, to keep an eye on the fight. If the undead advance too further south, they will send ravens all over the realm with evacuation orders to Essos and Sothoryos."</p><p>"I have trustworthy allies in Essos", Daenerys adds. "They will help the refugees reallocate in the safest places possible, according to Ser Alysanne, while the remaining Essosi soldiers will go to whatever the fight is taking the place to aid us."</p><p>The Dragon Queen's army leaves the next day, though she stays behind to wait for her dragon to recover; an Unsullied—Grey Worm, he thinks—and Mormont command the men in her name. She's clearly upset at seeing Ser Jorah go, but—finally!—they seal their goodbye with a kiss. As soon as the last group of her army leaves, Jaime takes charge of preparing his own departure. A few women from other regions come to him, asking to join his soldiers. "One of your commanders is the Queen", they say, "so we feel safer here." He obviously lets them in. It's wonderful to see that his wife's story inspired so many girls and women to fight for their homes as well. From their few interactions—after all, both men are too busy looking after their own armies—he can see Brienne's father is as proud of her as he is. Then a memory strikes him.</p><p>Alys said, more than once, that she had been the <em>second</em> female knight in the realm's history, and was knighted by the first one—her <em>mother</em>. Here, however, Brienne has <em>yet</em> to be knighted. In his daughter's world, <em>he</em> had been the one to make it happen, on the eve of the battle against the Night King, two or three nights before they fell in bed together for the first time.</p><p>Well, time to correct that, he supposes.</p><p>He calls in everyone who means something to his wife: Alys, her father, Lady Sansa and her brother, Theon Greyjoy, Jon Snow, Podrick, Lady Lyanna, the Hound (apparently they bonded over Arya Stark) and a few people from Tarth. In a gesture of respect, he calls his brother and Daenerys, as well as Princess Arianne, Theon's sister, Lady Olenna, Lord Yohn and Lord Edmure. Per Jon's suggestion, he asks Tormund Giantsbane to distract her with a sparring session while the others assemble in the throne room. When everyone is settled, he goes to fetch her.</p><p>She frowns when she sees so many important people. "What is this, Jaime?"</p><p>He smiles wide at her. "In Alys' world", he begins, "I left you behind with two things that remained forever with you: our daughter… and your knighthood. While we're working tirelessly on the former", he grins, and she rolls her eyes, "the latter is overdue."</p><p>She gasps. "Jaime, you can't mean—"</p><p>"You fought the Army of the Dead as a knight once. It is only fair that you do so again."</p><p>She blushes. "I'm already queen, Jaime. It is hardly proper."</p><p>"Why? I'm both. It's true that kings don't usually bother with knighthood, but we are an unusual royal couple. As king and knight, I'm even more able to knight you. Shall we?"</p><p>He gestures to the center of the room. All eyes are on them as Brienne walks slowly, guided by him, until they stop in front of the empty throne—Daenerys wisely thought it would be unfit for the event to have her sit there. <em>Perhaps she will be a better queen in this world</em>, he muses as he commands his wife to kneel, suppressing a suggestive smirk as she obeys.</p><p>He asks for her sword, claiming she should be knight with <em>Oathkeeper</em> instead of <em>Widow's Wail</em>, and places it on her right shoulder. "In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave." He moves to her left shoulder. "In the name of the Father I charge you to be just." Back to her right shoulder. "In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent." He takes the sword off. "Arise, Queen Brienne of Tarth, a knight of the Seven Kingdoms."</p><p>He hears people cheering and clapping for her as she rises, but Jaime only has eyes for his brave, loyal, gorgeous, wonderful wife. She smiles at him, as it's like the summer sun is up again. Unable to help himself, he pulls her closer and kisses her. Later, he barely lets her sleep through the night.</p><hr/><p>The day before his departure is mostly spent with Tyrion. "I don't think I ever told you", he begins, "but I'm sorry for the chaos I left with Father's death."</p><p>"I must admit", he replies, "I resented you for that for a long time. Despite his faults, he was still my father, and things did go from bad to worse after his death." He shuts his eyes close. "But I could not bring myself to stay angry at you for too long. I've never been. And then—I'm a kinslayer now too. I cannot judge you for the very sin I committed."</p><p>"I'd argue the circumstances were completely different", his brother counters. "You executed Cersei with tears in your eyes after you rightfully condemned her for her many crimes. <em>My</em> kinslaying was a personal matter. Selfish."</p><p>"It might have spared me from double kinslaying, though", he comments. "Alys never said much about Father, but, frankly, I doubt he'd care about the Army of the Dead, let alone to the point of aligning himself with a Targaryen and a Stark."</p><p>"With Cersei's death, you'd still be crowned. You'd still be more powerful than him."</p><p>"I'd be King, yes, but more powerful? The West would still answer to him, just like they answered to me when Cersei was Queen. Not to mention he'd probably buy any lords and soldiers supposedly loyal to me. I may not be very creative, but I don't see a scenario in which we could have kept him alive—not after I saw myself forced to kill Cersei."</p><p>Tyrion doesn't have a reply to that, so silence falls between them until he comes up with a new subject. "Have you given any thoughts on life after this war?"</p><p>He shrugs. "A few. I hope to survive, of course, if only to see Alysanne born this time around. Afterwards… I don't want to remain King, you know that already. It all depends on who will get the Seven Kingdoms, I suppose."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"If it's your Dragon Queen, you'll stay her Hand, right?" He nods. "Then it's safe to say you'll take charge of Casterly Rock instead of me. In that case, I'll happily retire with Brienne in Tarth. If it's someone else… I doubt our family will accept you as lord of the Rock so easily without a place in the Small Council to back you up. I might have to take the role, which means Brienne and I will have to split our time. I'm not overly fond of the second path."</p><p>"You'd rather lose the Rock and spend your days as Brienne's consort?", his brother asks incredulously.</p><p>"That would be a <em>dream</em>, Tyrion", he replies without a second thought. "I don't know why you're so surprised. I ran away from lordship all my life. You should be happy! Casterly Rock was <em>your</em> ambition, never mine."</p><p>He laughs. "Well, you make good points. It seems that I'll miss you no matter the outcome, Jaime, but I do hope I'll miss you without <em>mourning</em> you this time."</p><p>"So do I", he agrees. He's never been so motivated to live before; not even Cersei and their children drove him to fight for his survival. He supposes it's another difference between what he had with his sister and his love for Brienne.</p><hr/><p>"How long does it take to reach Winterfell?", his daughter asks when they begin their journey.</p><p>He frowns. "When Robert Baratheon made his royal trip, he took a whole month, <em>but</em> it was mostly because Cersei insisted on going in a carriage that slowed the entire party down." He huffs. "A <em>slug </em>was faster than that damn carriage."</p><p>"I remember taking nine days to travel from the Neck to Winterfell", Brienne offers. "But it was just me and Pod. A huge party like this will take time."</p><p>Bronn offers an estimate of twenty days, based on both stories. He tries to make a bet, but Jaime fears the man will win, and the last thing he wants is to owe the sellsword more than he already does.</p><p>Speaking of which… "When am I gonna get my own castle, Your Royal Assness?"</p><p>He rolls his eyes. "I'm a little busy at the moment to find you a castle, if you haven't noticed it yet. Why don't you, say, try to rebuild King's Landing after this all over? Or Summerhall, perhaps."</p><p>"I want peace and quiet, not spend the rest of my life workin' as a damn mason."</p><p>"Then wait to see who's going to rule the Seven Kingdoms in the end. I could give you the damn <em>Twins</em> only for you to lose when I pass the crown to someone else."</p><p>"Then give me the <em>damn Twins</em> and stay king!"</p><p>"I won't subject myself to torture just for you to keep a castle. You should have stayed behind and lured the Queen of Thorns into marrying you so you could have Highgarden, like you did in Alys' world."</p><p>Bronn huffs. "As if. I want <em>peace and quiet</em>, Your fuckin' Grace, not the mess that comes with being Lord Paramount. Say what, if Clegane remains as a hedge knight, I could get his keep. You are his liege lord whether you remain king or not, huh?"</p><p>Oh, yeah, Clegane's Keep is in the West. "That castle has probably been taken over by the people he and his brother were supposed to rule over. Good luck with that."</p><p>Their banter goes on for quite some time, and although Jaime is not overly fond of Bronn, it's good to have a lighthearted conversation once in a while.</p><hr/><p>Midway to Winterfell, the sun doesn't rise in the morning. Alys doesn't speak for the whole day, and only meets them at night when Brienne drags her to their tent. "You shouldn't sleep alone tonight", she says, and he nods in reinforcement.</p><p>"I don't want to hinder your time alone", she says quietly. "I'm a grown up—"</p><p>"Brienne and I will hopefully have years to get time alone", he cuts her off. "You clearly need comfort tonight, Alys, and we are more than happy to help you. Come here, we'll squeeze us three on this bed."</p><p>She curls up facing her mother, leaving him to face her golden curled hair. Brienne hugs her, and he places his stump arm above his wife's, pulling both of them closer.</p><p>"Thank you", his daughter mumbles.</p><p>"We love you", he whispers in reply. "It doesn't matter that we were not the ones to conceive you and raise you. It doesn't make us love you any less."</p><p>She lets out a small sob. "I want to go back <em>home</em>."</p><p>"And you will", Brienne whispers. "We're working on it. But, if the gods had not seen fit to send you back yet, it means you still have a job to do."</p><p>"I'm sure you'll be free to return soon", he says in an attempt to comfort her. "You deserve rest more than anyone else I know."</p><p>She mutters another 'thank you', and Jaime watches as the two most important women in his life fall asleep.</p><hr/><p>The definite absence of sun, moon and stars actually prompts them to ride faster—or as fast as they can manage while having to carry torches while they ride. He wishes the red priestess was with them to light up their swords already, but she rode with the first group.</p><p>Alys returns to her more talkative self as the journey progresses and she accepts the 'eternal' night is not a sign of failure on her part. After five sleep periods (for they no longer could technically use the term 'night' to distinguish it from their awaken time) pulling her to their tent, she insists she's well enough to sleep alone again. They still wait for her to come to them, and only in their next sleep period they make love without fear of being interrupted.</p><p>He knows they reached Winterfell when he sees the half-burned castle. They make camp nearby, and he holds Brienne as she cries for the place that was her home for a short time. Days later, though, they can't tell whether they passed through the ruins of Dreadfort and Last Hearth.</p><p>Finally, they catch sight of several fires—Daenerys' army. He, Brienne and Alys go ahead to greet their commanders and pick a place for his men to make camp. The chilling wind threatens to freeze his bones, which means his daughter and Jon were absolutely right in sending them ahead of time. Fortunately, he has his wife to keep him warm.</p><p>Over the next two months, the other armies arrive. The Dragon Queen comes with the Reach, and she greets Mormont with a big damn kiss. Someone shouts for them to get married already, and Jon finds an intact weirwood tree nearby.</p><p>Just as their wedding ceremony is finished, a horn is blown over three times.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Alysanne</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the battle unfolds, Alysanne comes to startling realizations and figures out how to defeat the Night Queen for once and for all.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>The red priestess approaches them holding a torch</em>—<em>it's the Long Night, </em>everyone <em>walks with torches these days. "I had hoped to find Lord Tyrion with you."</em></p><p>"<em>No, my lady", the man who joined them in Meereen, Daario, replies. "Out of Queen Daenerys' group, only I remain. The others died over the years."</em></p><p>"<em>I knew of Her Grace's death", she comments, "along with others of her party who died around the same time. But not of Lord Tyrion's."</em></p><p>
  <em>Daario glances at her and nods. She turns to the priestess. "He died in his birth home", she explains, "when it was set on fire by an undead dragon."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The woman's face falls. "I see. Well, follow me. We are not hiding in Asshai, but in an underground city up in the hill. Stygai."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Daario speaks up once again. "I was under the impression Stygai was a ruined city, not an underground one. Isn't it Nefer, up in northern Essos?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>That one too, but Stygai was rebuilt underground over the centuries. It used to be exclusively populated by practitioners of dark magic, but now it's a safe haven for all Essosi survivors."</em></p><p>
  <em>She looks at her mother, Bronn, Bran, Pod and the few others who are with them. Mother sighs. "I see no other way", she declares. "Your Grace?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>I'm king of nothing, Ser", Bran replies</em>—<em>truthfully; Alys has long stopped referring to him as king, in and out of her mind. "I'd rather you drop the titles. As for trusting Lady Kinvara… I agree, it's our only option."</em></p><p>
  <em>It takes half a day until they reach Stygai. On the surface, it's covered with a greenish liquid. "Poisoned water", Kinvara explains as she guides them to the entrance of the tunnels. "That's why Asshai'i citizens had to buy it."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When they reach the actual entrance of the underground city, Alys is blinded by the amount of light surrounding it. Of course, it comes from torches and lanterns, but it's still more light than she grew used to in the last years.</em>
</p><p><em>Over the days, they settle in among the other refugees. Most of them don't speak Common Tongue, but she is fluent enough in High Valyrian at this point to make it through the days</em>—<em>although she spends most of it with Bran, getting as much information as she can in order to go back in time.</em></p><p><em>She still doesn't know why the former king thinks she is the best choice. He says it's mostly a gut feeling (which he learned to trust, being the Three-Eyed Raven and all), but he also claims that sending someone foreign to the past will make things easier</em>—<em>which, well, is a valid point.</em></p><p>
  <em>Kinvara joins them a few times and explains what she knows, or at least finds it safe to assume, about the Night Queen and her Court. "Essos has faced similar threats before", she explains. "The Wall is only one of the hinges of the world, where the line between what is natural and what is not blurs to the point of blindness. Beyond the Five Forts, similar enemies arise every few centuries. There are tales from Ulthos and Sothoryos, and who knows what lands beyond the world we know."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reports from outside Stygai reach them, and everyone knows the Night Court is approaching. Bran decides it is time for her to leave. Kinvara asks for one last meeting. "Your former king cannot see what lies beyond this reality, but I might be able to."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They sit by the fire, and the red priestess grabs her hand. "I see butterflies", she begins, and Alys frowns. "I see a flaming sword of tales of old." Then it's Kinvara's turn to frown. "I see… three must join against the enemy. One is not enough, two is not enough either. It must be all three."</em>
</p><p>"<em>What does that even mean?", she asks.</em></p><p>"<em>I don't know", she admits. "It could be referring to people, or to things. Oh! I see three tears. Tears of grief, tears of guilt, tears of relief." She takes a deep breath. "And, my lady? Don't feel guilty or ashamed of what happened or will happen in this realm. Everything will turn out the way it was always meant to."</em></p><p>The memories of Stygai—the last place she settled in for any period of time before traveling to the past—come unbidden as she fights. Around her, living and dead fall, some silently, others screaming. Drogon clears much of their path, but poor Queen Daenerys must be careful to avoid burning living humans in the process, so not as many wights are killed as they wished.</p><p>She has to rely on other people's flaming swords to see the field, for Melisandre was not able to set Valyrian steel swords aflame. "Lightbringer must be a dragonsteel sword", she concluded after many failed attempts. "I do hope it reveals itself in time."</p><p>So far, she has yet to hear about any of the Valyrian steel swords present to catch fire, so she keeps sending prayers to whatever gods are up there listening.</p><p>At one point, she stumbles upon her mother, who informs her to have killed a Night Court member. "Just like my Ser Brienne", she says proudly, and runs back to the fight.</p><p>Someone shouts that 'the lightning lord' managed to slay another Night Court member before dying. <em>Only one more to go</em>, she thinks, <em>and then we can get to the Night Queen.</em></p><p>She can already notice the impact of these two deaths. There are many more fallen wights than moving ones, easining Daenerys' job to burn them before they can be brought up to 'life' once more. It fills her heart with hope. <em>We can make it, we can make it!</em></p><p>How long has it been since she felt truly hopeful for a good future? Back in her world, when the Night Queen burned Winterfell, it soon dawned on everyone that they were doomed, and running away was their only hope—one that got smashed as the oceans froze and the undead crossed the Narrow Sea to Essos. Back then, she only allowed herself <em>some</em> hope when Bran charged her with going to the Children of the Forest and submit herself to a ritual to go back in time—and even so, by the time she reached them, she was more driven by a duty she owed to her fallen mother than any real hope of succeeding.</p><p>Although her new eyes drew more attention than she wanted, they served for masking her nervousness in many of her first interactions. The Queen of Thorns was so busy trying not to have a heart attack upon seeing her that she never noticed her shaking hands, and her father was too distracted to realize she was sweating.</p><p>Seeing Father alive for the first time nearly brought her to tears—it should have, if she hadn't forgotten how to cry so long ago. Getting to know him through Bran's visions had been a blessing itself, but being able to talk to him, hug him, live with him? She never thought she'd see those days, which turned out to be her happiest in years. She even allowed herself to act childishly at times, in order to get a taste of what it could have been.</p><p>And then her parents got together! For real, with marriage and everything, and now without Aunt Cersei standing between them to threaten their happiness. She was overjoyed at their wedding, and for the first time allowed herself to dream of a future where she had both of her parents raise her together with love and care. Despite their occasional fights, they were a united trio, and she couldn't ask for a better outcome.</p><p>Now, though, she can truly see change in the horizon. <em>I'll come back home</em>, she hopes. <em>A home where I have a living mother, a living father, and perhaps even siblings. No unnatural threats looming over our heads, and no wars to tear our family apart.</em> It's a sweet dream, almost utopic, but she indulges herself. It fuels her motivation to keep fighting. <em>This is for humanity's future as a whole, not just mine.</em></p><p>Just as she reminds herself of that, she cuts her way through <em>it</em>—oh, she remembers <em>that</em> Night Court member very well. It had killed Meera Reed, and would have killed her if Mother had not jumped in front of her and pierced its chest. <em>It's my turn to get rid of you know, huh</em>, she thinks as she charges.</p><p>There are no wights or White Walkers standing between them, so their swords clash immediately. The creature is fast and smart, making it difficult to hit, even with two swords—and then Blackfyre is thrown far away in the blink of an eye.</p><p>The ice demon attacks viciously after that, and Alysanne nearly trips three times before she <em>actually falls</em> on the snowy ground. It raises its ice spear and aims at her heart, but she's faster than that and cuts his leg with Dark Sister. It doesn't shatter, but it loses balance and drops its spear, allowing her to sit up and pierce its belly.</p><p><em>Then</em> it shatters.</p>
<hr/><p>It's windy when she finds herself alone with her parents on the field. They had managed to slay many of the Night Queen's White Walkers, but their vision is so blurred, they can't be sure if there are more around. It feels like they're fighting for two straight days now; she can feel exhaustion creeping in, but she can't let it happen—they are so close!</p><p>Her mother is limping, favoring her right leg, and her father is holding her arm tightly. Normally, she'd take her time to appreciate the loving bond her parents have, but right now she must focus. She may never have seen the Night Queen up close, but she remembers enough to know she doesn't look like her Court members at all. Her skin is moon-like white, her hair is of a similar shade, and her eyes as blue as Alys' current ones. She can easily hide herself in this snow and wind, she realizes, which is probably the reason behind this abrupt change in weather.</p><p>Then, her father gasps. She turns to follow his gaze and finds it. The Night Queen stands before them, seemingly unarmed. Mother lets go of Father's hand and, ignoring her obvious pain, charges at the creature. The Night Queen <em>grabs</em> her sword and holds it until Mother is able to slip it out and attack again.</p><p>With a roar, Father charges as well, only for the Night Queen to use her other hand to defend herself. It goes like this for some time—her parents lunging at her only for her to block their attacks—until Alysanne joins them and aims at her head. The Night Queen doesn't even seem to <em>notice</em> when Dark Sister hits her head, though, and the sword bounces away. It distracts her as well as her parents, and she takes advantage of it to push them away. All <em>three</em> of them.</p><p>She doesn't know how she does it, but suddenly Alysanne is lying on the ground, almost losing sight of the Night Queen amidst the strong wind. She hears a scream and sees a figure behind the ice creature, carrying a flaming sword. Before she makes out who it is, the Night Queen turns and grabs them by the neck with one hand. Alys tries to stand as they seemingly fail to kill her with the fiery sword, only to find out her right femur is broken. Her parents are not quick enough to stand up either, and the Night Queen digs her nails into the soldier's throat, throwing them far away immediately after.</p><p>Her parents go back to fighting her, meeting her blow by blow and protecting each other as best as they can. <em>It won't work</em>, she realizes as her father is pushed away, leaving her mother to fight the Night Queen alone. <em>Is this how it ends? With us so close to a win but not enough? Valyrian steel was not enough, flaming dragonglass was not enough</em>—</p><p>She gasps, remembering Kinvara's words in another lifetime. <em>One is not enough, two is not enough either. It must be all three.</em> They must find a way to use dragonglass, Valyrian steel and fire at the same time to defeat the Night Queen! But how?</p><p>She glances at her father, who is standing up with difficulty. He carries Widow's Wail in his hand and the dragonglass hook she gifted him on his stump. He has two of them already, but how to get fire? How—</p><p>"<em>I see a flaming sword of tales of old.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Lightbringer must be a dragonsteel sword.</em>"</p><p>"<em>I see three tears. Tears of grief, tears of guilt, tears of relief.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Ser Alysanne, I should warn you before you go… I had visions and dreams that led me to believe Azor Ahair is someone that completely lacks Targaryen blood.</em>"</p><p>Her eyes burn with unshed tears, and her heart sinks. Finally, she understands why she is still here. Why she has yet to fade, even after killing the Night Queen's last <em>horcrux</em>. "Father!", she calls him. He turns to her, and his go wide when he notices she's on one knee, unable to stand up. "You remember the legend of Azor Ahair and Lightbringer?"</p><p>"Yes!", he shouts back, looking confused.</p><p>"It must be you!", she shouts back. "We need all three to bring the Night Queen down: dragonglass, Valyrian steel and fire. Only <em>you</em> can have the three out of all of us. You must become Azor Ahai!"</p><p>"But how?"</p><p>Eyes burning even stronger, she tears her chainmail open. "You know how", she replies. <em>Everything will turn out the way it was always meant to.</em></p><p>He shakes his head, tears already falling. "Don't ask me to do this!"</p><p>"You must! Look at Mother!" Both turn to where her mother still stands against the Night Queen, but, as strong as she is, it's clear it's a losing fight. "If you kill me now and destroy the Night Queen, I'll be born again! If you don't, Mother will die, and so will us all! <em>Please</em>, Father!"</p><p>He turns back to her. A sob escapes through his mouth. She smiles encouragingly at him. "It's okay", she says. "You can do this. You've made impossible choices before, you can make this one now and save humanity. Make Widow's Wail a sword to speak proudly of."</p><p>Tears running down free, he shakes his head. "Not Widow's Wail", he counters, coming closer to her. "Peacebringer."</p><p>In the blink of an eye, she feels her chest being pierced. It hurts, but, aside from a loud gasp, she manages to swallow a scream for Father's sake.</p><p>She doesn't immediately die. Rather, she manages to stay on her knee long enough to see her father jump at the Night Queen, shave Brienne aside and, in seemingly one single movement, bury his hook into the creature's neck and bury the flaming sword into her midsection.</p><p>As the Night Queen shatters, she feels herself lighter. She looks down and sees her hands dissolving into butterflies. Smiling, she raises her teary eyes to see her parents running to her.</p><p>They never reach her in time, but it's okay. They'll have a whole lifetime for hugs now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know at least one reader guessed Alysanne's fate from the moment they saw the title - by the way, I can finally say it! If you check the chapter list, you will see that all chapters titled after a character <b>without</b> a number attached to it (Cersei, Arya, Gendry, Alysanne) ended with its narrator's death (which is why they were not numbered). The fact that characters with more than one POV chapter (Jaime, Jon, Brienne, Bran) all survive is actually a coincidence (Jon was supposed to have died last chapter but I pitied our broody boy).<br/>Next we have the epilogue, which will be under several POVs. Only after I post it, I'll answer those who tried to guess what was hinted at in Jaime IX (ch 21).</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The aftermath, short and long term.</p>
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    <p>Daenerys lands to find Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime hugging tightly. Ser Alysanne is nowhere to be seen. Did she see it right then?</p><p>She dismounts Drogon and walks carefully to their direction. Soon she hears sobs, and then realizes they come from the man who is curled into his wife. "Ser Jaime", she calls, softly. "Ser Brienne."</p><p>Only the latter turns to her. Although she's not sobbing, there are tears running down her face. "It's over", she tells her dutifully.</p><p>"I know", she replies. "I saw it. I saw <em>everything</em>", she adds, emphasizing the last word to get her meaning across. They seem to understand; Brienne hugs Jaime tighter as he sobs once again. "Come with me", she offers. "This is no place to grieve."</p><p>The lady knight nods and slowly lifts her husband. He is numb as they climb on Drogon, and all three are silent as she flies to the Eyrie. "Go rest", she tells them as they dismount the dragon. "I'll go back and inform everyone of what happened." She hesitates, but finally decides to place a (hopefully) comforting hand on Ser Jaime's shoulder. He looks up at her, expressionless. "I know my words don't mean much to you, but you did what you had to."</p><p>He nods slowly, but doesn't reply otherwise as Brienne guides him to wherever Lord Arryn is now. With a heavy breath, she pulls Drogon up. <em>At least this war is finally over.</em></p>
<hr/><p>Telling wights apart from casualties from the living is not always easy, but they manage it eventually. The list is long and tear-inducing.</p><p>Sandor Clegane, the infamous Hound, whose body was found near where the Night Queen was defeated. Yara Greyjoy. All of Daenerys' Dothraki bloodriders. Yohn Royce. Lyanna Mormont. Dolorous Edd from the Night's Watch. Beric Dondarrion. Quentyn Martell. Randyll Tarly. Edmure Tully. Emmon Frey, the only male member of his house to escape the massacre at the Twins. Ned Umber and Alys Karstark, the last members of their respective houses. Ser Gerold Dayne, the late Sword of the Morning's distant cousin, also last living member of his house.</p><p>They are all burned, although separately from the wights. Daenerys conducts the ceremony, telling everyone of Ser Alysanne Lannister of Tarth's ultimate sacrifice in order to defeat the Night Queen.</p><p>Small feasts are thrown in Dragonstone and the Eyrie, where most of the survivors are scattered around. Two of the surviving heroes are notoriously absent from all celebrations, but they leave them be.</p><p>Bran Stark reveals the Three-Eyed Raven no longer exists, since its mission was fulfilled at last. At his own suggestion, everyone who knows about Ser Alysanne's true origins agree to keep the fake backstory she once gave to Cersei: that she was a Lannister bastard raised in Essos. It will be better for registration in history books, and maybe, just maybe, the future Alysanne should be free of the burden of having once been a hero in a time she wasn't even born.</p><p>After the sun rises again, the snow quickly melts, and winter gives away to spring in a matter of days. They don't know yet, but soon spring will be replaced by summer, then autumn, then winter again. Every year will have three-moon seasons, just as the Bran from Alysanne's world said it should be.</p>
<hr/><p>Despite being king and queen, Brienne and Jaime are given leave to spend entire days in the room Sansa pointed them to when they arrived in the Eyrie. When Daenerys spread that she saw Alysanne die in their arms—not really true, for they could not make it to her before she completely dissolved in butterflies—everyone understood their need for space and solitude. They are far from being the only ones to love somebody they loved, but given Jaime was the one to kill the Night Queen, and that few others had to watch their children die, their case is treated apart.</p><p>Jaime cries for hours on end, even as his tears stop falling. Brienne cries too, although not as much, and she hugs him fiercely. "You did what you had to do", she whispers, lips caressing his cheekbone.</p><p>He buries his face on her neck. "Out of all prophecies, I got the worst of them", he says, sobbing. "Having to choose—my daughter or humanity. It was worse than with Aerys and Cersei. Why did it have to be <em>me</em>, each time?"</p><p>"Because you are one of the strongest men I've ever known", she replies softly and proudly. "And one of the most honorable. The gods chose you for each of these difficult tasks because they knew you had it in you to make the right choices every time, even as they broke you." She kisses his hair. "But you are not alone this time, Jaime. I'm here, and I won't leave you to your sorrow."</p><p>He raises his head and kisses her lips. Before they know it, they are naked in bed and interwined with each other to the point it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. "If I am the gods' chosen one", he whispers into her mouth, "then you are their gift to me. I could not have survived any of this without you, my queen."</p><p>"And I could not have done half of the things I did without you either, <em>my king</em>", she replies evenly, kissing him. "It will be alright, Jaime."</p><p>"With you beside me", he hums, "I know it will."</p>
<hr/><p>Two months after the end of the Long Night, Brienne tells Jaime the magic words. "I'm pregnant", she tells him softly. "Sam just confirmed it."</p><p>His eyes shine for the first time since that fateful day. Slowly, he kneels before his wife and lifts her shirt. He places a long, gentle kiss on her still flat stomach. "Alys", he whispers, like a prayer.</p><p>She caresses his hair. "We can't know for sure if it is her", she warns him, albeit weakly.</p><p>"The timing fits", he replies, his forehead touching her muscled abdomen. "And if it isn't her, we'll try again until she comes. I made a promise, and I intend to fulfill it."</p><p>She keeps caressing his hair as she feels hot tears running down to her tights. Although she's never said it aloud, she made that same promise too. And, if she's being honest with herself, she doesn't mind trying and trying again and again until they get Alysanne.</p><p>Almost seven moons later, she successfully gives birth to a girl with blonde hair and mismatched eyes. There is no question on her name, only tears in her parents' eyes as they hold her.</p><p>They decide to work on giving her siblings soon after.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Twenty years later</em>
</p><p>It's been sixteen years since Alysanne last went to her parents' chambers in the middle of the night—she learned very young that it is the most inconvenient time to come to them. Tonight, though, she needs their comfort desperately.</p><p>On her way, she's met with one of her three sisters, Joanna. "Up this late, Alys?", she asks.</p><p>"I could ask the same of you, Jo", she rebutts.</p><p>"Oh, but I always wake up for my nightly snack", she whispers conspiratorially. "What about you?"</p><p>"Nightmare", she says simply. "Need some fresh air." No way she, the Crown Princess in the South, will admit to her sister that she's going to her parents' room.</p><p>Joanna believes her easily and waves her goodbye. As quietly as possible, she makes her way to her destination, climbing the stairs to the highest level of Casterly Rock</p><p>She was told she was born in the second year of her father's reign, although it was the first under his current title—not King of Westeros, as the rulers before him, but King in the South, ruling over the so-called westerlands, Reach, Dorne and stormlands.</p><p>After the War for the Dawn, won in great part with the sacrifice of a Lannister bastard raised as a warrior in Essos—her namesake—the three rulers of Westeros at the time sat down alongside their main bannermen to settle matters. Her father had wanted to give up his crown altogether, but most of his subjects did not want to bend the knee to neither a Targaryen nor a Stark. It was a lengthy conversation that nearly ended up in fights multiple times, but eventually they settled on a division: Southern Westeros, ruled by the King in the South, Jaime Lannister, from Casterly Rock; Northern Westeros, ruled by the Queen in the North, Sansa Stark (crowned after Jon Snow abdicated), from Karhold (passed to the royal family after the death of the last Karstark in the Long Night); and Central Westeros, ruled by the Central Queen, Daenerys Targaryen, from Dragonstone, which covered the former-called crownlands, the riverlands, the Vale and the Iron Islands.</p><p>She grew up with her father complaining about having to remain King until his dying day and coming up with ideas to retire to Tarth and pass the throne to her while still alive. However, she also grew up entirely sure that her father is a great king, one of the best in the realm's history, and she's immensely proud to be his daughter.</p><p>It also helped that he had her wonderful mother by his side to rule as his equal—for he insists it shouldn't happen any other way. Queen Brienne Lannister of Tarth, also Evenstar and Lady of Evenfall, is a just and kind ruler, and her story inspires many girls to become warriors like the first female knight of Westeros.</p><p>Once, Alysanne dreamed of following her parents' steps and standing among the best knights in history. Being two-handed, it'd be all too easy to improve her skills and surpass Ser Jaime and Ser Brienne; from what she heard, her namesake was a walking deadly weapon with her dual swords. However, as she grew up, she saw little value in learning these abilities when her parents' reign was one of strong peace. Sure, they had their armies, but the three Westerosi sovereigns prioritized diplomacy over war, and everyone who fought in the Long Night agreed they had enough bloodshed for two lifetimes; none of them wanted to see another war.</p><p>As heir to the Crown, Alysanne turned her interest to other subjects. Reading and writing were a pain in her ass, just as they were for her father, but music came to her easily. At the age of twenty, she is well-acquainted with several musical instruments, and has composed countless songs—with her siblings' occasional help, since her handwriting tends to be so horrible, even she can't read it after a time.</p><p>Whenever she has nightmares, Alys grabs her guitar and strum until sleep returns to her. Tonight, though, her dreams have been too real to sing them away, and her parents featured in them too often to ignore.</p><p>She knocks on her parent's chambers' door, hoping that they are not trying to make an eleventh child. To her luck, they are not, and her father opens the door fully clothed. "What's wrong, Alys?", he asks, sounding alarmed.</p><p>"N—nothing", she stammers. "Just… a nightmare."</p><p>His face softens and he hugs. "Then it isn't nothing", he whispers, as if she was a child of eight again. "Come, your mother is awake too."</p><p>He guides her sit at the edge of their bed. Mother sits up and hugs her as well. Their warmth already makes her feel better.</p><p>After a while, they break their hug, and Father asks what her nightmare was about. "I dreamed—I think it was the Long Night", she begins. "There was no sun, and no stars either. Moonless, too. Only an extremely dark sky. At first, I only saw Mother and Uncle Tyrion; the few times Father was mentioned, it was as if he had died long ago."</p><p>She feels her father stiffen beside her, but she ignores it, hugging herself as she goes on. "We were in Asshai. Mother called Bran Stark king, but he said he was king of nothing. Apparently we were running away from the Night Queen, but Bran wanted me to go back north. Since he was apparently my king, I obeyed. Mother was supposed to come along, but she—she died in my arms when we were close to our destination." She sobs, and she feels her mother's strong arms encircle her.</p><p>"Some wooden-looking people performed a magic ritual on me, and I woke up in the past. I—I don't know how I knew, but I did. And I saw Father, and I was so—thrilled to see him for the first time." She feels a kiss on her forehead, and she knows it's from him.</p><p>She continues with her tales, telling them all about how she fought the Army of the Dead seemingly twice, and how her own father had to kill her to save humanity. "I turned into butterflies as I died, and I was happy", she finishes. "But I didn't feel happy when I woke up."</p><p>"Of course you didn't", her mother replies soothingly. "You dreamed of terrible things."</p><p>"But those were just that—dreams", her father adds with a firm voice. "You're probably just anxious that you're going to Asshai next fortnight."</p><p>"Maybe", she mumbles. Her grandfather, on her father's behalf, traded with Asshai frequently—water and marble in exchange for some of their most useful inventions. The Essosi city was known both for being a place where all kinds of sorcery are practiced and where its people resort to rather creative ways to survive. When her parents made the trip there, when she was six years old, they found many things of their interest, and Lord Selwyn has been behind regular negotiations ever since.</p><p>As the Crown Princess, it is important that Alysanne knows her future kingdom's main trade partners, and that includes Asshai.</p><p>"Byron will go with you, sweetling", her mother reminds her gently. "There is nothing to fear."</p><p>She smiles. Byron was the son of Ser Bronn, made Lord of Starfall after the last Dayne died—apparently, Princess Arianne said he had the spirit of a 'true Dornishman' and gave him the castle her father had supposedly denied for years, along with a bride from House Qorgyle. She and Byron fell in love when he came to Casterly Rock to squire under their master-at-arms, Ser Podrick Payne. They are to wed after they come back from Asshai, and Alys is looking forward to it.</p><p>"I know it's childish", she whispers, "but may I spend the rest of the night here? I can take the floor. I just want to be near you."</p><p>"Nonsense", her father rebuffs. "Our bed is large enough for us three."</p><p>They place her between them, just like when she was a child scared of the dark. She falls asleep facing her father, who tells her everything will be alright and she will soon forget those terrible dreams.</p><p>He's right, of course; by the time she meets with her betrothed in Tarth, she can scarcely remember what frightened her so that night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And now it ends! Thank you for all of you who commented, left kudos, subscribed, bookmarked, or just read anonymously. I was initially afraid of positing such a 'bizarre' concept, but I'm glad you guys bought it and enjoyed it.<br/>If you haven't yet, feel free to check my other works. I'd love to know your opinion on them as well, feedback helps us improve &lt;3<br/>-------<br/>And now, for the hints (some more obvious than others, especially now):<br/>- Brienne II (ch 13): Alysanne cries while wondering why she hasn't been sent back to her own time yet and what she could possibly still have to do.<br/>- Jon III (ch 14): Bran tells his family, Sam and Dany: "I had... dreams (...) that make me suspicious that Azor Ahai has no Targaryen blood at all."<br/>- Jaime IX<br/>1) Alysanne to Jaime: "I'm bound to leave you someday. There can't be two Alysannes in this world."<br/>2) "We need three to defeat the Night Queen." --&gt; multiple nods: three rulers, three against the NQ, three elements to defeat her<br/>3) "There was sacrifice too (...)."<br/>4) "If you die-"<br/>"Make sure I'll be born again."<br/>(1) and (4) were meant to signal that Baby Alys would not be conceived until Adult Alys was gone, but that she'd follow the latter's departure shortly. (It also signaled that she'd leave the past by dying.) They didn't even need moon tea in the end; time travel paradox was their contraceptive method xD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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